


J & T

by Kaoz



Series: CWD [1]
Category: Dukes of Hazzard, Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-01-01
Updated: 2015-10-26
Packaged: 2017-11-08 17:53:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 39,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/445871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaoz/pseuds/Kaoz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clone Jack gets a do-over. The Duke kids are on a time out. Hunters and Aliens...what could possibly go wrong? <br/>2nd in the Duke/Winchester series.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Family

**~ J & T ~**

Bo died.

He followed Sloane to a Hunt. He wasn’t supposed to be there. _They_ shouldn’t have been there…

Inexperienced.

9 times out of 10 that’s how you die.

Its why Bo died.

There's no crossroads deal for him. Sloane died too.

It was slow and painful and she did it for them; Bhaze and Tëmpeztrà.

There wasn’t anyone left, no other Campbell's to take the Duke's … There's only Luke Duke, his wife Aspen and their son Asher.

Luke has rules.

By law Tëmpeztrà belongs to Luke and Aspen until she turns 18.

She's only 16.

The main rule, the one Tëmpe hates, the one Luke _insists_ they obey; No Hunting. None.

Bhaze agrees with just a little hesitation but it’s the only option they have and really? This is what Bo and Sloane would want for their little girl. Time to live the normal civilian life, to get a taste of what it is to live without the constant fear of death. A Hunter’s life is bloody…

She's angry because Bhaze leaves her. He's hunting while she has to suffer suburbia, a new school and an overbearing, grumpy uncle who seems to be PMS-ing 24/7.

Its bad enough Bhaze barely makes time to visit but the problem is Luke. He's to blame for the sporadic visits because there is always something Luke finds to bitch about.

They're family. They shouldn’t be forced to email or phone calls but as long as Bhaze continues to hunt, Luke isn't open to discussing any changes to the rules.

It’s the hunting that took his cousin and it was Sloane’s fault because she brought it on them and Luke is not going to loose any more of them.

**~ J & T ~**

She hates it already.

“Don’t.” Bhaze warns. He knows that look; that frown on her face and the dusky pout along with narrowed smoky eyes…

“It’s not fair.”

It really isn’t but there's nothing for it.

“I'm on fucking lock-down the next 2years in suburbia hell with _Luke_.” Tëmpe glares at her brother, the aviator shades shoved up on her head so there's no way he can miss it or pretend to. “ _Luke Duke_ … B, please-.”

“Take the time to be a kid, Tëms.” Bhaze pulls up to the school, right up to the main gate and turns to his sister. “You might even like being a civilian.”

She snorts. “I'm a Hunter. It’s in my blood same as you.” She throws her back pack out to the sidewalk. “Making me stay with Luke is krap. You know it. I know it. The whole _fucking_ world knows it!” she smacks him, smoky eyes dark. “And that,” she smacks him again just because. “Is just a little of what I'm gonna do if you listen to that jerk and stay away.”

“Tëm…” he sighs. They're all they have left and Luke is not going to come between them.

“You can't leave me, Bhaze.” She hates the teary sound of her voice but it’s not fair and he's all she has left.

**~ J & T ~**

He doesn’t look forward to high school. There are a lot of things he isn't looking forward to going through _again_ but there's nothing to do about it. Not when he's supposed to be ‘fitting in’.

_‘Cus that worked out well the first time around.’_

He snorts, the sound loud enough the teacher glances over the horn rimmed glasses and gives him the evil eye. Two seconds and then old Gregory is reading out of his book yet again while the rest of the class fiddles with cell phones and their MP-thinga-gigs –

He can't help thinking of his team and then has to correct himself because Daniel, Sam and Teal'c are not _his_ … … … They belong to Jack. They are part of a life that is not his and hard as Jon finds it there's nothing that will change. All he is… … is just a copy of Jack O'Neill. He's got all the memories, all the feelings and experiences… … … and Jon’s still only a teenager.

The door opens, drawing all eyes to the girl standing just inside the classroom.

Gregory rolls his eyes to the cork paneled ceiling and closes his book with a snap and short huff of breath. He's annoyed and makes no effort to hide the fact. He turns to the door and the girl; she’s got a mane of dark hair, a dusky pout and why is it the kids can't ever leave their shades for _out_ side instead of in?

“In or out, miss?” he snaps and it takes her a moment before she takes a step into the classroom uncaring that the door slams shut behind her. Jon doesn’t hide the partial smirk seeing that she doesn’t even flinch though craggy old Gregory gets a permanent scowl. He takes the admittance slip and points her to the third row down the center.

She drags her feet, boots clomping on the generic tiles as she reaches the empty seat in front of Jon. Her leather satchel drops unceremoniously in the aisle and Jon gets a quick glimpse at her eyes; smoky silver and there's something ‘old’ about them he sorta finds oddly comforting. Like maybe he isn’t alone…

**~ J & T ~**

Tëmpe hasn’t found anything to smile about. It’s a new school in a new town with family she really hasn’t seen much of the last couple of years. The problem was all Duke-Campbell, as in Luke, Bo and Sloane but somehow managed to reach Bhaze and Tëmpe.

_Time heals all wounds_

It’s a krap saying and Tëmpe wishes she had the fool who came up with that platitude in front and she’d show him what time can heal-

_‘Violent, homicidal, maniac.’_

Labels she's heard on more than once occasion, most times in reference to her Mother from some asshole or another.

She plops down behind a tree near the annex where only the smokers go to hide. One more tear rolls down her cheek and this time she doesn’t bother to wipe it away. Who’s going to notice a girl crying when there are kids smoking up to bust?

**~ J & T ~**

_“I'm not having any of it around my family.”_

He doesn’t need anyone else dying and he certainly isn't going to allow his wife or son to follow Bo to his grave.

_“Luke-.”_

She understands his pain, why he lays the blame on Sloane when it wasn’t that simple to starts with but the kids shouldn’t have to suffer.

_“This isn't a debate!”_

Because he's not having any Hunters or hunting in his house. He won't let that come into his family and take them away. Not the way Bo was taken…

_“There's no other place for Tëmpe. I'm not-.”_

Bhaze can't run with his sister, she's too young for that, for what he's choosing to do and maybe Luke was right, maybe they'd needed to have a choice instead of being raised like Hunters since they were kids.

_“Let’s go, B.”_

She's not about to listen to Luke go off about their Mom. She's heard it before, the name calling and the blame…

_“You're staying with Uncle Luke. I'm not taking you with me-.”_

Bhaze stops her from heading out the door.

_“I'm not staying here!”_

She's still angry, and why isn't Bhaze? Why is he so damn calm when Luke keeps talking krap?

_“Not if you're going to hunt. I told Bo it wasn’t going to end well. I told him she’d get you all killed-.”_

Luke is red faced, angry and loud. All things that Tëmpe won't take, from anyone- a trait her Mother encouraged and Bo found amusing at least part of the time.

_“Luke! That’s enough, stop yelling, stop blaming each other! Haven't you had enough?”_

Because she has. She's dealt with the fall out, dealt with Luke and his anger at Bo, the dislike for Sloane. What she isn't going to allow is Luke to take it out on the kids, Bhaze or Tëmpeztrà.

 _“My Mom…_ did NOT _kill Dad! You weren't there! You don’t know-!”_

Tëmpe has enough. She's backed off enough when it comes to Luke and his opinion of Sloane. She's ready to hurt him just to make that point glaringly clear but…

_“Tëmpeztrà!”_

Bhaze has to pull her back and Luke is just lucky she didn’t have anything sharp on her because they'd both be hurt. He doesn’t know how to make this any easier because Tëmpe doesn’t want to stay and yet he can't take care of her. They have no other family, no place to go if Luke won't take them- take Tëmpe because Bhaze turned 18 weeks ago…

_“Your Mother was trouble. She brought death to my family…”_

**~ J & T ~**

“I know the truth.” Tëmpe wiped her face; the lunch her aunt packed got tossed. She ate at their table to keep the peace. She didn’t sneak out of her room because Bhaze made her promise to toe the line and she didn’t need him worrying about her while he was on a hunt. All she had to do was wait out the year, just until summer came around because Tëmpe didn’t plan on sticking around **_Willow Fells_** for three months while Bhaze hit the road.

_“We’ll get those fangers.”_

Bhaze promised her they would and she was sitting pretty because of it.

**~ J & T ~**

“Yo, family!” Asher drops his duffel in the living room and heads towards the kitchen. Its early enough Aspen should be baking something delicious for dinner. But… “Upstairs.” Because the kitchen is empty though he can smell that something delicious already in the oven and damn but he's been missing the home cooked meals.

“Mom!” he calls loudly, grinning from ear to ear like an idiot as he yells out again. “Mom! Moooom! Momma! Mommy! Maaaaa!” he wants to laugh because its fun and he knows this constant shout for her gets to her.

“What!” sure enough, Aspen steps out of the guest room wearing her most annoyed expression and for the unexpected visit of her son who is supposed to be in school.

“Hey Mom! I'm home!” Asher scoops her into a hug, twirling her the rest of the way into the hall where he sets her down and says not a word of the little squeak of surprise she let slip.

Aspen smacks him. She loves him, her playful boy who’s only grown more audacious but if she laughs it will be worse and though it doesn’t hurt him in the least he feigns pain because laughing it off will only get him smacked harder and he's not a stupid kid. “What are you doing home? The semester only just began, Asher.”

“I missed my Mom.” Asher pouts, he's such an idiot her lips want to turn up in a smile at his antics but she refrains and seeing she isn't going to give in, he shrugs. “Long weekend. And I wanted to see my cousin’s cus knowing Dad one of ‘em will be hanging from the tree in the back yard soon.” He smiles again and with his arm draped over her shoulders heads to the main floor of the house. “And I haven't seen them since we were kids so…”

“ _You_ are a kid.” Aspen sighs. And so is Bhaze but at least he's behaving while Luke… Aspen doesn’t want to think about the past week!

“So, where are they?” Asher looks around expectantly, as though they'd be waiting on him and she sighs, hand pushing open the kitchen door.

“Asher, its Tuesday.” She moves towards the counter and pulls out the coffee maker. “Tëmpeztrà is still at school and Bhaze…” she really doesn’t know where the boy goes while his sister is at school but she knows his number and dials it for her son handing him the phone.

“Ookay, yup it’s ringing.”

She ignores the smart ass she gave birth to and checks the oven. Asher smirks; truth is there's a long weekend with nothing he'd rather do than be at home and with all the frequent flyer miles accumulated by Luke … The line finally picks up.

“Coz, where are you man? I need a body guard.” He lowers his voice just enough and fakes a loud whisper his Mother can hear. “My Mom's trying to beat me.” He chuckles at the dirty look she lands on him.

“Boy…”

“Can you hear that? She's threatening now. So lets meet up.” He quickly exits the kitchen with a shouted “Love you Ma!” and escapes.

Aspen exhales but really, she misses her son and there's a soft smile on her face as she tends to the rest of dinner.

**~ J & T ~**

The end of the day can't come soon enough though Jon keeps the easy pace while the rest of the hormonal teens run like headless chickens into the parking lot. There's not much difference now from when he was a kid the first time around. Boys still show off their cars, they still have a need for speed and the girls still make a beeline for the quarterback, for the guy with the hot car-

A shiny orange charger roars up to the curb and Jon has a smile as he admires the beauty-

“Show off.”

Jon turns but she's already past- the ‘New Girl’ in school. She tosses her bag into the back seat and climbs in the window settling into the passenger seat with a grumble as the car moves off.

Jon watches her go, a slight frown on his face because he's wondering if that was her boyfriend when it shouldn’t be any of his business. He doesn’t know her…

**~ J & T ~**

Luke is home earlier than usual and finds the ‘kids’ on the back porch talking. They’ve become inseparable and while it’s a good sign he can't help feeling anxious. He knows Bhaze is tied to the Hunter life same as his Mother and her family had been. He doesn’t want Asher involved; he doesn’t want his only child drawn into that life. He won't allow it, damn!

“You're too young to date.”

Luke tunes into what they're talking about and scowls.

“Am not.”

“Why Joey?” Asher frowns. “He's an idiot and he's got a rep.”

“I don’t want him around you, Tëmps” Bhaze levels hard blue eyes on his sister. She smirks at them.

“I'm a big girl. I do know how to take care of myself and Mom told me all about the birds and the bees so no worries. I know what goes where and what happens if it does…” she covers her laughter at their grossed out expressions and Asher is by far the funnier having covered his ears and scrunched his eyes closed pretending not to hear.

Luke knows all about that kid.

The back door squeaks as he steps out onto the porch and the trio turn towards him. Luke’s only focus right now is his niece and there's no ‘Hi, how's it going kids’ as he lays down the law.

“There will be no dating.”

Tëmpeztrà’s narrowed gaze is warning enough. This time, Bhaze agrees with Luke especially if what Asher has told him about the idiot jock is true.

“Another rule?” because she's about had enough of those and the smoky eyes turn on Bhaze who opens his mouth. He stops and the look in her eyes says it all.

**~ J & T ~**

With Asher at school the house feels kinda lonely and Tëmpe wonders at how quickly she got attached to the dummy. It’s been quieter without Bhaze around and Luke finally has what he wanted from the start.

Tëmpeztrà retaliates by breaking the rule, that last one and makes sure to arrive home just after Luke. After a week of near misses, Tëmpe finally gets ‘caught’ in Joey’s car as he drops her off at the curb.

Luke's waiting in the living room, a fact Tëmpeztrà ignores on her way past and heads upstairs with Luke calling her name. She can hear him on the stairs, heavy boots stomping and she wants a fight. She really does and her small hands clench into fists but Luke never makes it to the second floor.

Aspen intervenes; she talks him down and makes him see that being angry for the blatant disregard of his rules is their niece’s way of lashing out. She's a 16 year old girl grieving for her parents while Luke is a grown man who’s lost his cousin, a man he hadn't spoken to in years and she gets it, she understands they were more brothers and the distance didn’t matter, not when it counted…

**~ J & T ~**

Its loud. The sounds of teens in the halls magnified and it’s giving him a head ache. Jon misses that other life and it wouldn’t be hard to picture these same halls emptied of teenagers, painted gray and uniformed airmen nodding a salute or coming to attention as he walked past…

Jon sighs.

That was Jack.

His life….

High school is Jon’s life and having just lived through a lonely birthday he was counting the days until he turned 18 next year. But then, October was _Jack's_ birth date and Jon was still shy of 17 by a few months…

Jon sighs and heads in to class and finds ‘the new girl’ already in her seat. He looks her over again; the weather is getting colder, she sports dark jeans tucked into a pair of black boots. A flannel shirt in stripes of varying blues and black and a gray vest. He's assuming the leather jacket she wore in the morning is somewhere in her locker and she's not paying attention to anyone. The book in her hand draws his eyes, hard cover in some shade of brown, clearly old but he can't make out the title the way she's hiding it from view. He frowns. But yeah, that’s exactly what she's doing and Jon takes his seat behind her still trying to peek at the book but craggy Gregory starts class and the book is out of sight in her book bag.

**~ J & T ~**

Asher has to bail. Its coming close to the holidays and his parents won't be happy if they don’t get their second year college boy at home.

“Not a word, Ash.” Bhaze reminds with a critical eye on his cousin. They're only months apart in age but their upbringings have made them into different men its obvious.

“You're talking to the master of deception here, coz.” Asher retorts and flashes a quick grin before stuffing the rest of his dirty laundry into the duffel he's taking home.

Bhaze snorts. He gets the duffel tossed at him for that but they walk out of the dorm room and head to the **_General Lee_**. It’s been three months since Asher caught him surfing the net in search of a hunt and started asking a million questions. The ‘how do you know its supernatural and not some wacko?’ The ‘how do you find this stuff?’ The ‘how do you know what kind of kryptonite you need?’ Just a little ridiculous at times but the questions were smart and Bhaze got tired of explaining so put his cousin to work. It shut him up and now Bhaze wonders how he could've been such an idiot. Luke has made it clear what he thinks of Hunting and he's said Asher isn't to take any part but Asher… slowly but surely, his cousin is getting involved and Bhaze feels a little guilty for his part. He tells himself that as long as he keeps Asher to the salt  & burns that will satisfy the need for adventure, but … …

Asher wonders what it’d be like; doing the college thing with Bhaze instead of hunting though that has become ‘a hobby’ Bhaze wishes he'd drop. Its only ever about finding the ghost and digging it up, burning it and then burying the evidence again. _‘Boring!’_

“So… still not seeing the upside to college?” Asher chances a glance out of the corner of his eye because he knows his cousin has to be thinking about it. He's not an idiot and understands at least half the stuff in Asher's text books-

“Not gonna happen.” Bhaze automatically replies. He won't even think about the possibility because its not easy to live in two worlds and if he's a Hunter then that’s where he needs to focus. The lack of it or any distraction can only get him killed sooner. Bhaze knows exactly how his life will end … it’s the same as Sloane's and her family had died. Hunting is all he will ever do, all he can do though maybe after he kills those leeches … maybe …

“Cus your thing is hunting. Like your Mom and her side of the family, blah, blah, blah.” Asher rolls his eyes at the often repeated excuse. “Dude, you're not stupid-well, yeah cus you're not seeing the benefits of maybe being regular joe-college instead of this bad ass Hunter.”

“Cus I am bad-ass.” Bhaze cuts in. Thoughts of revenge and his parents aren't going to do anything other than put him in a bad mood. He’d rather change the subject but his cousin is like a damn pit-bull at times. “Look, I get it. Mom had this talk with both of us; Tëmpe and me.”

Asher’s surprised to hear that because he'd assumed that would likely come from Uncle Bo… “Aunt Sloane?”

Bhaze gives him a stare as they head to opposite sides of the charger. “Mom wasn’t always about the hunting, Ash.” He tosses the duffel into the back seat and hops in through the window. “She never told us this absolutely had to be our life.”

“Then why?” Asher stares at his cousin and finds a stronger resemblance to the young Bo in family pictures hidden away by Luke. The only difference being the dark blond hair because Luke can see a lot more of Bo in Bhaze though he tries hard not to let it show.

“Are we getting in touch with our feelings tonight?” Bhaze snaps. “Cus I’ll let you walk your ass to the airport…” he trails off waiting but Asher just turns his attention to the road and Bhaze finally pulls out of the parking lot.

He really doesn’t want to think of ‘what if’. He's made his choice and he's been doing just fine on his own-so maybe there's been the occasional help from other Hunters- Asher didn’t need to know.

“Don’t mention anything to Tëmps.” Bhaze warns. “She’ll catch you in a lie quicker than-.”

“Dude.” Asher scoffs. He points to himself. “Master of Deception.”

“Right.” Bhaze sighs. His cousin can be delusional sometimes but it’s funny all the same. “ _Do Not,_ tell her _anything_. Asher.”

Asher just rolls his eyes and keeps his mouth shut. How hard could it be to lie to his 16yr old cousin anyway?

**~ J & T ~**

It’s the end of November and the holidays just seem to have snuck up on him. It’s worse this time around, because Jon feels more alone. He misses Carter, Teal'c and Daniel…

School is barely a distraction even with all the screaming, shouting kids and that’s why he prefers to eat alone. Rain or shine, he can find a quiet spot to have some peace and eat before the next round of torture begins.

“Come on-.”

“I'm not telling you again.”

Jon rounds the corner of the hall and stops.

“Let go.”

He laughs and pushes her into the corner again. Jon wonders yet again what the hell she's doing with the dumb ass.

“Hey!”

They both look up and Jon has an ‘oh krap’ moment when they spot him but he's already walking towards the problem. He's noticed the pair- honestly? Jon's been watching _her_ and its nothing obvious but she certainly is out of place. Like Jon feels.

Jon wonders what the hell is wrong with some kids; don’t parents teach them how to behave?

“Fuck off, before I plant my foot in your ass.”

Jon knows better than to laugh off the threat yet he can't contain the smirk playing about his mouth. He has the advantage; years of military training and life experience but these kids….

“Look,” she grabs Joey the Jock by his sleeve and shoves him off, those smoky silver eyes on Jon. “I'm fine. No damsel in distress.” She assures and Joey the Jock wraps a meaty arm around her shoulders forcibly pulling her to his side.

“You're some kind of freak, aren't you?”

Jon ignores the question, doesn’t miss the clenched jaw or gritted teeth as she draws in an annoyed breath but she doesn’t throw off his arm so Jon figures it really isn't any of his business. Still … he hesitates to leave.

“You deaf, fuck wad? You get off on watching us making out?” Joey flashes a grin while Tëmpe closes her eyes and begs for patience. Asher warned her Joey was a meat head but pissing off Uncle Luke had been too good an opportunity to pass up. Now she was dealing with the asshole on school grounds-

“Yo!”

“Sup!”

Jon glances over his shoulder and finds the jocks flanking him. That ‘oh krap’ moment is gonna get him in trouble and how many times has he been told not to stick out or draw attention to himself?

“Joey,” Tëmpe shoves his arm off and glares up at him. “I'm not interested.” She could've waited a few minutes, until Joey sent his buddies away so he could save face but she knew the fight was inevitable and was only sorry the kid from her 5th period class was going to be involved.

_‘I told him I was fine. He should've walked away when the going was still easy.’_

Joey’s face turns red, big jaw clenched and he shoves her; one finger poking her shoulder hard.

“Not interested.”

“What.” Tëmpe glares, her shoulder smarting from the harsh poke but its ok because it only feeds the anger churning in her gut. “You deaf? Do you comprehend the meaning of ‘Not Interested’? Should I start drawing you a diagram, you _fucking_ _moron_.” Tëmpe shoves him back, both hands flat on his broad chest and she actually moves him.

It seems to be the straw that broke the camel and Jon figures now is the time to get her out of the way.

“Time for a break.” Jon steps in front of her, both hands up in the universal sign for ‘peace, bro’ though Joey doesn’t seem to care.

**~ J & T ~**

Aspen already knows Luke is not going to be happy and no doubt will start to blame Sloane for Tëmpeztrà’s outburst. She sighs and heads into the office where she finds her niece slouched in the plastic chair with another boy sporting a bright red mark on his cheek but otherwise unharmed.

“Are you alright?” Aspen grasps Tëmpe's chin in her hand lightly and turns her face up. She winces at the cut on Tëmpe's lip and bruise on her cheek. The knuckles of the hand she lifts are scraped and bloody…

Tëmpe pulls out of her hold, silver eyes darkening to smoke and glares. “Peachy.” She bites out. “Should see the other guys.” Her head tilts towards the office door opening and the three jocks shuffling out, each with a parent.

Aspen’s eyes widen slightly; bloody noses all around and one with a definite limp. She looks back at her niece and finds a mean smirk flitting about her mouth. The boys move past, each with a glare for the boy and Tëmpe that Aspen is going to point out to the principal.

“Mrs. Duke.” Principal Haskin draws in a breath and asks her into his office. “You're next, O'Neill.” He gives the teen a hard stare but Jon just raises his hand and offers a short, two finger wave in response, like a half-assed salute...

Aspen glances at Tëmpe as they sit, head tilting to the thick file on the principal’s desk because she could just make out Tëmpe's name. She gets a careless shrug in response and Aspen wonders how the hell Sloane dealt with the kids’ principal at their school…

“I understand Tëmpeztrà is your niece?” Principal Haskin began as he sat. His brown eyes went from Aspen to Tëmpe and back. “And both her parents have passed. I'm sorry for that.” He adds in a somber tone Tëmpe doesn’t believe but she grits her teeth and shuts up, just like Sloane had told her to do.

“Yes, my husband’s cousin and his wife.” Aspen cleared up but didn’t get any further.

“I see. In certain situations I wouldn’t hesitate to meet out a severe punishment and while your niece’s school record is…interesting?” his eyes skipped over to Tëmpe and when she didn’t reply returned once more to Aspen. “I will let this go with a warning, Mrs. Duke. This _one_ time…because I'm willing to believe Tëmpeztrà is dealing with her grief but,” once again his attention turned to her. “This is not the proper way, young lady. I will not hesitate to expel you if there is another incident-.”

“Wait,” Aspen jumped in. “You're telling me those _three_ boys I saw come out of this office are blaming my niece for their injuries?” she scoffed, her tone clearly implying she didn’t believe that even if Aspen knew better. “Those boys- football players, am I correct?” because she had seen their jackets and the principal couldn’t deny they weren’t. “They are twice her size, at least 90lbs heavier and you're willing to expel _her_? What about the boy outside-?”

“Jon didn’t do anything.” Tëmpe spoke up. She regretted that almost immediately when the principal turned his narrowed eyes on her. “He was only there because…because Joey was getting grabby.” She huffed in her seat crossing her arms and staring at the floor.

 _‘Rule one when you get in trouble at school._ Shut Up _.’_

“Grabby?” Aspen looked up to find a disapproving frown on the principal’s face. “Grabby, one of those boys- Tëmpe what exactly happened?”

Tëmpe remained mulishly silent while the ‘adults’ argued about everything. Aspen didn’t give an inch and her verbal sparring reminded Tëmpe of Sloane; the same protective behavior but this time there wasn’t any inward glee at the principal being given a hard time. Nope, this time Tëmpeztrà stood up and walked out of the office before they could see her tears.

Jon looked up from his slouched seat to find Tëmpe hurrying out into the hall. The door slammed behind her and Principal Haskins wasn’t happy but neither was Mrs. Duke. Jon wisely kept his head down as the adults walked out but hoping he'd be forgotten was just wishful thinking.

“O'Neill!”

Jon rolled his eyes and slowly stood up, feet shuffling as he walked into the office. He didn’t take a seat and Principal Haskins didn’t offer him one.

“You get a warning.” Haskins barked. “One more incident…”

“Yes, sir.” Jon nodded and the threat was clear, not that Jon cared but he at least had to pretend.

 _‘Like any good soldier…’_ and hadn't he been one of the best?

**~ J & T ~**

The door was closed but even then it didn’t stop Asher from giving a perfunctory knock before just walking in.

“Oh good,” he smiled and headed straight for the bed. “You are decent. I’d of had to gouge out my eyes with flaming pokers otherwise.” He dropped down on the bouncy mattress and lay back nudging Tëmpe's leg with his elbow.

“Ha, ha.” Tëmpeztrà retorted in a monotone. She didn’t even move or bother to snap at him for coming into her room without invitation.

“Look, you can pout up here all you want, Tëmps.” Asher sighed dropping the fun tone he'd hoped would get her up.

“Thanks.” Her sarcasm was ignored but he was at least glad she’d made the attempt.

“Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same without some yelling. You wanna come down and help out with that again?” Asher waggled his eyebrows and still Tëmpeztrà ignored him, silver eyes glued to the ceiling. “You're seriously leaving me alone with them? Tëmpe?!” he poked her side but all she did was brush his hand aside and roll over. “I'm begging here…” he sat up, hand grasping her calf and peeked over her shoulder.

“Go away Asher. I'm not in the mood.” Tëmpe muttered trying to brush away the tears without him noticing.

“I know I didn’t poke you hard enough to make you cry so what gives, coz?” Asher scooted to the foot of the bed and got comfortable against the metal frame. He waited, ticking each second that passed with a flick at her leg.

“I know its stupid, Ash…” Tëmpe whispered, her eyes focused on the bare wall. “I just…I miss them. I miss Mom and Dad and I wish Bhaze was here…” her hands clenched in the pillow. “And I'm just so… _angry_ … all the time.”

Asher didn’t know what to say to her, what could he say? His parents were both downstairs setting the table for Thanksgiving dinner, alive and well. He didn’t know what it was to loose a parent, not to have them there… They didn’t say anything else, both just quiet…

**~ J & T ~**

Jon does exactly as he's been told and come Monday he keeps his head down and stays out of trouble. Its not that he doesn’t notice Tëmpeztrà because he does. She's got a chip on her shoulder the size of a glacier-not that she mouths off or does anything the adults can find fault with. Jon can't believe how close she comes to that though and purposely which has him wondering ‘why’ and then scowling because it isn't any of his business.

A week leads into two and by the third there's a Christmas cheer Jon could do without. All the happy smiling people-

“Almost like _Pleasantville_ aren't they?”

Jon's surprised not to have heard her come up beside him and then his glance drops at least a foot-probably a bit more than that- because she’s shorter.

“Bunch of sappy Christmas addicts.” Tëmpe looks up at him, straight faced and asks; “Did you know Roman Pagans started a week long celebration of law breaking, from the 17th to the 25th? They called it Saturnalia.”

Jon had no clue what the hell she was talking about but there was another bit of weird trivia coming out of her mouth… She does that a lot but especially with grumpy Gregory and that always has Jon wanting to laugh.

“The Greek historian, Lucian described it; human sacrifice, drunks running about singing naked- just picture the Carolers trying that now… Oh, can’t forget all the ‘fornicating’ they did. Consensual and not-mostly not, then in the 4th century Christianity took over, picked the 25th as Jesus’ birthday and lied to the pagans saying they could keep celebrating like they had.” Tëmpe smirked, her glance shifting back to the halls decked in green and red tinsel, Santa hats and antlers. “If they knew Nick had been a Bishop of Myra the church sainted in the 19th century, you think they'd care?”

“Would it stop Christmas shopping?” Jon wonders still watching her. He could do without the hassle and over crowded malls. Her lips twitch in amusement though she tries not to show it.

“Not unless the God of the Wood woke up and ate them…Wishful thinking, huh?” Tëmpe shrugs and once again she's gone off at the mouth but really, who’s going to know those are all Hunter facts if she doesn’t come right out and say so? “See ya.”

People are just so blind….

Jon watches her weave through the teens and he's thinking of SG1 while he does. Actually it’s Daniel that sticks out the most because he's the one always going off on some long winded explanation and then he's wondering how they're all getting on? Do any of them spare him a thought…

Jon heads home- once again alone and isn't that a kick in the junk? How many years did he spend alone as Jack and not care? He'd go up to his cabin and hide out…but that’s not his cabin anymore-it never was because he isn't the real Jack O'Neill and the sooner Jon starts to forget that part of his life the easier getting into this new one will be. But how does he forget? Forget Charlie… And Sarah… forget all the work he's done at the SGC… forget the friends who never made it home…

“Christmas sucks.”

**~ J & T ~**

Bhaze pulls up to the house and shoves his anxiety away. He's only dropping in for a visit, that’s all, so Luke can't bitch about him…

“Right. Cus that’s gonna happen…”

The curtain is drawn aside but it’s not like his sister needs to see who’s at the door when she can hear the **_General Lee_** and that’s when the front door opens. Bhaze grins and starts to climb out, ignoring the scowling face on their uncle watching them from the inside.

“Bhaze!” Tëmpe jumps on him, arms squeezing around his neck and he's just as happy to see her.

“I missed you.” He hugs her tight and finally lets out a heavy breath he hadn't realized was chocking him. After Asher returned to school Bhaze had almost made the trip to **_Willow Fells_** but Asher had been right; what was he going to do? And he couldn’t mention their conversation either, not if he was going to keep Asher’s hunting a secret and if Tëmpe found out….?

_‘God help me then.’_

“Yo!” Asher yells from the front stoop. “Get inside where it’s not freezing cold!” he adds “Lunatics.” In an undertone he's sure they can hear.

“Come on,” Bhaze urges. “You're not even wearing a sweater, short-stuff.” He hurries her up the path and inside the house ignoring her soft grumblings over being called short. It’s got Bhaze smiling- at least until he sees Luke waiting in the living room.

“Where's your bag?” Aspen frowns. “You're not leaving, Bhaze. Get your things and bunk with Asher. Go on.” She orders when they just stand around staring at her. “Help me in the kitchen, Luke.” She forcibly pulls him out of the living room before he opens his mouth and there's another fight. “I do not want a repeat of Thanksgiving.” She warns him in a low whisper as the kitchen door swings shut.

“I don’t want him in my house!” Luke exclaims.

“Your house?” Aspen echoes quietly. Luke sighs in exasperation because he knows he's just put his foot in his mouth and if he's not careful…

“Our home-.”

“You stop.” Aspen snaps at him. She’s had enough of the yelling and she isn't going to put up with it. “Let them spend the holidays together, Luke. He's stayed away just like you ordered and I'm not going to let you kick him out again. _NO._ Not one word, Lucas K. Duke.” She's serious and he knows it. “They all stay and _not_ a single word about hunting.”

They're silent a long moment before Aspen takes the stack of dishes and heads into the dining room leaving Luke to worry all by his lonesome. He's trying to protect them and yeah he's still angry about Bo and he still blames Sloane but… Bo made his choice.

**~ J & T ~**

“Dude,” Asher chuckles careful not to be loud. “Mom put Dad on check. Hey, remind me not get whipped.”

“Please.” Tëmpe rolls her eyes. She drops into the cot they pulled out now that she's finished putting on the sheets and listens to their ribbing. Its way too comfortable for them and she's thinking maybe they’ve been spending more time together than anyone knows… like maybe Uncle Luke doesn’t know and if the boys have been hanging out…

“So how many girls did you date this term, Ash?” Tëmpe curls up on the cot, her smile innocent though there's more to what she _isn't_ asking.

“Is she old enough, B?” Asher laughs tossing a pillow to his cousin.

 _‘B? When did that start?’_ she's looking between the boys, each one busy putting things away to notice the sharp silver eyes on them.

“Not nearly.” Bhaze retorts. Tëmpe lets that slide because she's hunting for information and getting pissy over her age isn't going to get it for her.

“Bhaze, any hunts?” Tëmpe catches Asher's flinch and her eyes bounce from one boy to the other and Oh is there _ever_ something they aren't saying.

“Plenty and you know this isn't the place, Tëmps.” Bhaze arches a meaningful eyebrow towards the door and the fact that Luke is just downstairs.

“It’s not like I'm being let out of the house without an escort.” She snaps and that anger Asher mentioned Tëmpe admitted to is evident.

“Not if you keep beating up civilians.” Bhaze reproaches. He moves around the bed to sit facing her. “What the hell, Tëmpeztrà. I thought you were going to keep it lo-pro. Mom and Dad wouldn’t appreciate being called in for that stunt either-.”

“I told you Joey was an idiot.” Asher cut in.

“And I ignored you then like I am right now.” Tëmpe snapped. “Save the lecture and the ‘I told you’ so.” She said to both. “I'm sick of this, Bhaze. I want out.”

Bhaze dropped his head into his hands and tugged on his hair. It was longer than she remembered and he certainly looked tired…

“You’re 16.” Bhaze reiterated. “You’ve got high school, Tëmpe. I'm not putting you anywhere you shouldn’t be. This is what Mom and Dad would do. You know they would.”

Tëmpeztrà shoves his hands off her and sits up. “They'd take me on hunts. Dad wouldn’t keep me locked in and he wouldn’t bitch about Mom hunting. Dad wouldn’t-!”

“Dad’s dead.” Bhaze cuts in with a hard stare at his sister. He knows she's on the edge of tears-her eyes way too bright and the fact he's not siding with her is only pissing her off more. “Get it through your head, Tëmpeztrà. There's no Hunting for you. None.”

“You can't stop me.” Tëmpe says softly and quite clearly. Asher's never seen her look so determined and maybe it’s just because he hasn’t seen her since she was 11 and then it was only during summer vacations. Those stopped after that last fight with the Duke boys. Asher knows his Dad probably started it by saying something regarding Sloane…

“Hey, it’s Christmas.” Asher reminds them. “Caroling, Fruit Cake, Egg Nog and hey, my favorite; _Presents_!” he raises his hands in the universal ‘High-Five’ sign but his cousins aren't into it. “Fine, Scrooge and Grinch. See if Santa puts anything other than coal in your stockings.”

“It’s better than the alternative.” Bhaze retorts. He turns to his sister about to ask if there's anything he needs to worry about safety wise.

“Done and done.” Tëmpe assures like she’d forget to make sure the house was safe. “No meadowsweet anywhere in the house or yard. Nill on the vervain or mint and certainly nothing pagan God related. I'm not an idiot, Bhaze. I'm not some dumb-ass just getting lessons on Hunting101. I do know what I'm doing and what to look for.” She turns her gaze on Asher. It makes him uncomfortable because he feels like she _knows_ …

“Your house is evil proof, you're welcome.”

Bhaze recovers quickly, his mind still turning over the Hunting101 comment while no doubt Asher is stuck on the dumb-ass remark.

“Great. You're still not going on any hunts.” He takes her hand in his and stands pulling her up as well. “Don’t we have some family bonding to do?” he looks at Asher, blue eyes slightly narrowed in warning because he knows his sister and she's digging around for info and if Asher doesn’t get his shit together Tëmpe's gonna have exactly what she wants; dirt on both of them.

“Yeah, yes, uh-huh.” Asher nods quickly. They head out into the hall. “Let’s get this bonding started. The sooner the better cus I've sorta got a date.”

“Date?” Aspens voice drifts up from the living room and she doesn’t sound like that’s gonna be ok. Asher throws his head back, fists raised to the ceiling in silent frustration.

“Bionic hearing.” Tëmpe smirks.

“How the hell’d you get a date in town?” Bhaze wonders in a lower voice as Tëmpe shoves her cousin towards the stairs.

“Uh, have you _seen_ me?” Asher questions with one of his ‘duh’ expressions. Its classic and Bhaze chuckles because in the last couple of months Asher's been Tëmpe's stand in. Doesn’t matter their age difference, doesn’t even matter she's a girl because they get each other. Sloane called it a sibling thing but she’d had none… Now Bhaze can add Asher to the ranks- the brother he'd wanted Tëmpe to be when his parents had first told him he was going to be a big brother.

**~ J & T ~**

Jon's watching the countdown on TV-it’s a really nice flat screen- best one in the store… He takes another swig of beer and damn it, he's only had two and already has a pleasant buzz going.

“Lightweight.” He mutters to the empty living room.

Someone’s going to bitch about the TV but what the heck, it was a final sale so ha!

Jon laughs and that’s when he knows the beer is definitely had an affect.

“17…krap.” He puts the brown bottle down on the side table and stares at the flashing screen with the music blaring from the speakers (the volume is set at 20).

_“10! 9! 8! 7! 6! 5! 4! 3! 2! … 1! Happy New Year!”_

Jon grimaces, leans forward and thinks back on the New Years party Daniel dragged him to a few years back-

“Jack. He dragged _Jack_ to that party.” He stands and surprisingly doesn’t sway or lean as he makes his way slowly to his bedroom. Its dark but he knows where everything is and drops into the bed, (hasn’t bothered getting dressed all day) grabs the pillow and scrunches it up into a ball he rests his head on. Closing his eyes doesn’t stop the trip down memory lane and he grumbles they aren't his anymore.

It’s been two years- Jon snorts into his pillow because really, he _is_ a 2year old. But…well, it could have been worse. He's a copy of Jack- a clone and if he’d died, well then not a problem right. … But Jack intervened, made it so Jon didn’t have to die and now the AirForce took on the mini-Jack.

Jon couldn’t complain, I mean what 17year old had his own house? Got a government allowance to pay for the expenses and a little on the side…

“I got it made.” Jon mutters in the dark while outside his window the music and singing gets louder as the parties down the block get into full swing.

**~ J & T ~**

Asher makes a shushing motion with his hand and Tëmpe sort of quiets down. The moment he turns his back she's giggling. Again.

“You're gonna get us in trouble.” He hisses over his shoulder. “Shut. Up.” But she flips him the bird and laughs louder. “Fuck-Bhaze, shut her up, man.”

“I told you it wasn’t a good idea.” Bhaze covers her mouth with his hand and hauls her up the back stairs. “This,” he nods towards his grumbling sister insistently smacking at his arm where it’s got hers pinned to her sides. “Yeah, I'm gonna put the blame on you.”

“Aint gonna stick.” Asher assures reaching to the back door. “I'm the good kid here.” He smirks and opens the door. “I can do no wrong.” He chuckles as Bhaze manages to get Tëmpe inside the house without too much noise.

“You're dealing with the hung over 16year old tomorrow.” Bhaze whispers.

“Man, she was gonna get drunk eventually.” Asher shrugs. “Better she did with us around instead of some idiots.”

Bhaze concedes he could have a point but he knows his sister and Tëmpe wouldn’t let herself get that out of control and especially not around strangers. She's a 16 year old girl only Tëmpeztrà isn't like regular girls…

“I don’t know about that, Asher.”

Both stop in the hallway half between the living room and the staircase. Bhaze drops his hand from Tëmpe's mouth and reaches to his back where he always has a knife or his gun; tonight he's got both.

“Mom!” Asher's gripping his own knife when the lamp flicks on and Aspen is sitting in the loveseat with a fuzzy throw over her legs. He's quick to hide the knife and nicks himself for the trouble.

“You're both behaving like idiots.” She stands, eyes on Tëmpe who’s got an arm draped around Bhaze’s neck and her face tucked into his chest. “Do you realize how easily it could be Luke waiting up?” she eyes them both because they certainly should know better being that they're older. “He's already got issues; please don’t give him anything else.”

“Don’t worry.” Bhaze keeps his tone even and his words civil because what he really wants to say will get him kicked out by his aunt instead of his uncle. “I won't be giving Luke another excuse to hate us.” He swings Tëmpe up in his arms and turns to the stairs. “Ill get her to bed. Goodnight.”

Asher drops his head and that pleasant buzz is so gone now it aint even funny. “Ma… they had fun. You know?” because there hasn’t been much of that this vacation and not to blame Luke but the permanent scowl anytime Bhaze is in the same room…

“You've been drinking.” Aspen states in her pissed off voice. “You're not even 21, Asher. And you're cousin is 16. She’s _16_!” she shakes her head and there's that look of disappointment and Asher leans his head back on a tired sigh. Ok, so he broke the drinking law, twice because of Tëmpe but they didn’t hurt anyone, they're all fine.

“Bhaze didn’t drink. He was designated driver and we didn’t let her out of our sight. Mom,” Asher rests both hands on her shoulders, eyes looking into hers. “We really aren't idiots. Bhaze would never let anything happen to Tëmpe. You think I would?”

Aspen knows it isn't as easy as her son thinks; keeping loved ones safe and out of harm… Awful things happened all the time and the life Sloane had lead certainly hurt everyone. She thinks maybe it hurt Luke worse….

Upstairs, Bhaze gets Tëmpe into her bed but the brats already asleep. He sits next to her and is struck by how much like their Mother she looks. It’s the same dark hair, longer than Sloane's had been and the shape of their mouth… Tëmpe's got that same no-nonsense attitude – a ball buster – and he laughs because his sister can't hold her liquor and Bo had always teased Sloane that she couldn’t either though it was far from the truth.

“Keep it up, Tëms… you’ll build up a tolerance and out drink the drinkers.” He whispers and then chuckles. “Don’t forget, we come from a family of moonshiners and Hunters.”

“Aint that the truth.” Asher agrees from the door. “Well, moonshiners on my side at least.” He stumbles on the throw rug and knocks into Bhaze. “Where’d that come from?” Asher frowns and gets shoved.

“How'd you even get up the stairs?” Bhaze wonders as his cousin plops onto the foot of the bed and they all bounce.

“Very carefully.” Asher laughs and lies back with a sigh. “I'm fucking sleepy.”

“Whoa, hey, get your ass up.” Bhaze orders with a backhand to his thigh that’s ignored- well, aside from the slight scowl anyway.

“I like it here.” Asher grumbles snagging one of the extra pillows and – “How come girls always have a shit load of pillows?”

Bhaze shakes his head because his cousin is too damn heavy to carry and knowing Asher…nope, it’s just easier to leave him alone. He scoots in next to Tëmpe and purposely drops his leg on top of Asher's. He smiles at the grumbled curse but that’s all the response he gets. Bhaze stares at the ceiling, the white paint… its not home but that place isn't theirs anymore. Going back to the burned remains… he'd had no other choice, no way to explain all the Hunter paraphernalia and equipment. So it had to burn… He'd never sell it, not the land or any of it. That was for Tëmpe…he'll give her that even if its half his, when she turns 18. He’s going to push her, make her go to college instead of Hunting. At least one of them has to have a regular life…

**~ J & T ~** ****


	2. Hunting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suburbia has its challenges.

**~ J & T ~**

Luke's been extra nice so he figures Aspen has to be in a better mood. He's even let Tëmpeztrà’s sullen attitude go without comment though he's come close to snapping at her quite a few times. Usually, Luke heads out to the garage and works on an engine… the garage had been Bo’s dream, once upon a time, back when they were young and running moonshine all over _Hazzard_ _County_. Cars have always been Bo's love and Luke let his Gym dream go, at least while Bo was still around. Now he doesn’t know what to do with both businesses… He misses Uncle Jesse and the kooky quirkiness. He thinks of Daisy and feels his eyes sting and blinks those tears away. Daisy wouldn’t like it and hell, she’d be the first to smack him, tell him to get his shit together. Truth is…Luke just misses how simple their lives had been in _Hazzard_.

There isn't anyone left. Not Cooter, Boss Hoss, Roscoe, even Enos… There's a time and a season for everything and everyone. Luke thinks maybe it’s come too soon for the rest of his family but he's gonna do his best to hold it back as long as he can. To protect his niece for as long as it’s possible.

“I owe you that much, Bo.”

**~ J & T ~**

Asher thinks he's found a hunt and wouldn’t you know it, the ghoul or ghost or whatever it is actually stuck its neck out on campus.

_‘My campus.’_

Of course Bhaze is busy with another hunt two states away. It’s not like Asher can't start on the research which is what Bhaze tells him to do but it’s no fun…just sitting in the library, reading through countless sites and articles and what for?

_“So you know what the hell it is.”_

“Yeah, yeah…jeez.” Asher avoids the cluster of students walking out of his dorm and heads up the stairs. “Because I'm heading to the library.” He mutters under his breath. “Damn library….”

He drops his books on the desk and knocks over the stack of magazines which he curses at and leaves where they fall. It doesn’t take more than a few minutes to grab his laptop and a heavy coat because it’s way too cold in the evenings. It’s the raised hand at the barely open door that Asher leans away from.

“Oops!”

Asher groans inwardly. He totally forgot about the ‘study date’ in his dorm and the fact his room-mate would _not_ be coming back until the morning.

“Shit,” realizing that actually came out of his mouth, Asher turns on his charming smile. “Sorry. I need to reschedule. I'm really sorry.” He's moving out of his dorm room as he says it, the door shutting firmly behind him and he's got his arm around her waist. “Last minute- I swear I’ll make it up to you.” And then he leans in, mouth quickly stealing a kiss from the hot girl whose name he can't remember but then she's hot so… “Promise.” He waves and jets out the main door into the cold afternoon.

_‘She tastes like cherry chapstick.’_

Asher's smile fades once he's sitting at the library booting his lap top.

**~ J & T ~**

Sitting with Luke for the nightly news is one of the few things Tëmpe is forced to participate in. The other being meal times, which is the other place she can’t avoid her uncle. There's never anything really interesting on TV so she sits with a glazed expression and looses herself in memories of her parents and pretending this right now is all a bad dream she can wake up from.

“That’s awful.” Aspen comments and Tëmpe notices her aunt has a hand half covering her mouth. The reporter- some blond with a bad spray tan in some shade of orange that looks awful with all that bottle bleach blond hair- fails to convey any sense of compassion for the fool that got cooked in the elevator of the burning building. The curious thing Tëmpeztrà picks up on is the fact that only the lobby caught fire but then the blond reporter could be wrong and they _didn’t_ find the body on the 5 th floor in a stalled elevator. Or maybe the hot air actually travelled up that high and was hot enough to roast the poor guy… ?

_‘Maybe….?’_

Tëmpe glances at her uncle and aunt but neither is paying her any mind and the story switches to something else. She wonders how they can’t see it. But then she's glad he can’t because it’s going to make her Hunt that much easier to accomplish on the sly.

**~ J & T ~**

It’s time again. Another appointment with the talking head shrinker Jon’s been scheduled with. He hasn’t spoken to any of them not that they haven’t tried but then what can he tell them? Janet Fraser couldn’t get him talking- _‘Jack, it was Jack.’_ Because Jon has no ties to the SGC, SG1 or to Jack’s life and the past year hasn’t made it any easier to get used to this … _this_.

He walks into the office and takes a seat. His long legs stretch out comfortably; thankfully this latest growth spurt hasn’t made him awkward and clumsy. Jon likes this added height and the morning runs are enough to keep him in shape. He’d forgotten how easy it was and enjoys the physical part of being a teenager again. _‘Some parts, anyway.’_

Ten minutes later, Jon is asked into the shrink’s office where there is a surprise.

“Hello, Jon.”

Daniel fidgets and it’s clear he's uncomfortable but then Jon feels just as tongue tied because what the hell is Daniel doing there? It was very clear Jon wasn’t to have any contact with anything to do with the SGC…

“How’ve you been?”

“Great.” Jon’s glance skips over to the shrink; she's watching them both from her desk, brown eyes encased in thin glasses-

“It’s alright.” Daniel moves to sit on the couch, his smile so familiar Jon feels his chest constrict with some emotion he’d rather not name. “Dr. Greenleah has clearance… Jack figured you …well.” He sorta chuckles because Jack hadn't thought it would make any difference and Daniel can see he was right but then Jon _is_ Jack…

“Right.” Jon takes a seat in the chair- the one the shrink usually sits in when conducting the head shrinking and looks at Daniel. “How is ‘Jack’?” he doesn’t miss the discomfort in Daniel’s shoulders or expression. “It’s been a little over a year, you don’t write, you don’t call… what are you doing here, Danny?”

It’s a moment before Daniel speaks up and watching him wipe his glasses has Jon feeling all sorts of sad and weird and strange and what the hell is Daniel doing in **_Willow Fells_**?

“I came to see you.” Daniel locks eyes with Jon and doesn’t look away from the silent teenager that’s also his friend.

“And how long before you visit me again, Danny?” because this isn't easy, sitting across from Daniel with the shrink across the room and it feels like he's being chaperoned. “I thought we weren’t supposed to have any contact. It’s not safe, right?”

“No, its not.” Daniel agrees and while the rest of SG1 didn’t think it was wise they also sent ‘Hellos’ to Jon. “Nothing’s changed… I thought- maybe, we could… Do you want me to go?”

Jon sits there watching Daniel and that stupid kicked puppy expression. Of course he doesn’t want Daniel to leave!

“So how’s everyone?”

Daniel lets out a soft relieved breath and sits back in the couch making himself comfortable. “Sam and Teal’c wanted me to say Hello for them…”

**~ J & T ~**

It’s a well worn dark gray leather journal. Sloane Campbell's Hunting journal. It’s her writing, her notes, her sketches… Tëmpe’s read it from cover to cover. The detailed descriptions of monsters, hauntings, ghosts, ghouls- all of it. She's read the entries from when they first met- her parents; Bo and Sloane. Read the entry where Sloane admitted she had liked Bo from the start though she feigned annoyance.

Tëmpe flips through the pages-she's got her private spot in the yard and since the ‘fight’ with Joey and his idiots, she's pretty much become a leper of sorts. Its better and she's not in a hurry to make friends with the  teens Tëmpe’s only going to leave behind once this forced exile is over.

The pouch is in the middle of the journal- a plastic sleeve she carefully takes out. It’s the only pictures she's kept with her, of Sloane with her parents, of Bo with Bhaze the day he was born and Sloane smiling at the goofy smiles. There's another of Sloane with Tëmpe swaddled in a fuzzy white blanket rocking by the frosted window. Other pictures of the four at the racetrack, standing beside the **_General Lee_** …  Memories of the time they had together as a family.

Tëmpeztrà wipes her eyes surreptitiously, her shades pushed out of the way and it’s their wedding picture that always makes her cry.

They're happy.

Tëmpe feels guilty for thinking that Luke maybe has a point. That Hunting is what got her parents killed…

_‘It was vampires.’_

Hunting had nothing to do with their deaths - she's not about to blame her Mother as Luke keeps doing.

The bell rings. Tëmpeztrà mutters curse after curse as she packs up her uneaten lunch and slips the pictures back into her Mother's journal. Sloane had insisted each one start their own, both of them sitting down to copy page after page from her journal.

“Hey.” Jon calls watching her.

Tëmpe frowns, glances up and spots Jon standing a few paces off, waiting.

“Hi.”

She wonders why he's waiting and quickly puts Sloane’s journal in her bag- out of sight and it certainly didn’t escape his notice. Jon has seen her hiding it before and his curiosity is getting the better of him. He's in a different mood what with the unexpected visit at the head shirkers office over the weekend.

“So.” Jon glances over his shoulder and back at her. “Gregory.”

That grumpy teacher Tëmpe loves to give a hard time just because he loves to pick on her but she doesn’t make it easy on herself though she’ll never admit to goading the a-hole.

“Lovely.” Tëmpe gets to her feet and starts past Jon who joins her. It’s noisy in the hallway and Jon's usual annoyance at the ruckus isn't there.

“Got anything planned for today?” Jon allows a hint of the smirk to show when he glances down at her. It highlights his new height and Tëmpeztrà doesn’t even reach his shoulder.

“Depends on what Gregory wants.” She shrugs. “I go with the moment. Inspiration and all that.” She's always been good at thinking on her feet- it’s certainly an advantage on a hunt.

“Right.” Jon chuckles and pauses to let her walk in first. He doesn’t miss the slightly furrowed brow or curious expression because he's holding the door for her and once again he's acted out of the norm. He’s annoyed but teenagers these days don’t seem to have any manners if this is considered ‘strange’.

“Alright.” Gregory announces, glaring at the door and the rest of his teenagers shuffling in. “Take your seats, we have work to do.”

**~ J & T ~**

All she does is ask. He does anything for her and really, there's nothing he can't do for her. Nothing he won’t do if she asks him.  She is his ‘lucky lady’, there's no game he can lose with her at his side.

_“You can't win if there's no one to play.”_

Aint that the truth?

Of course she makes perfect sense. Which is why he's out recruiting and right now, anyone and everyone, they're all welcome at the table.

He. Can't. Loose.

Asher's trying to focus on figuring out what he's supposed to be hunting while wishing he'd stayed in with … _‘…what's her name?...’_   even that puts a scowl on his face. This hunt is a bust. He doesn’t exactly feel bad the university is shutting down one frat house. Though they were awesome parties… too bad ‘big brother Gary’ snapped at the last one. Screaming and yelling about who knows what, swinging at everyone – there were a lot of drunk college kids hurt though luckily no one got their head cracked.

The school might have let it go … turned a blind eye after an appropriate amount of time had passed … _if_ … but ‘big brother Gary’ wasn’t the only frat boy in the big house to go psycho.

They all did. All _seven_ frat bros-

“Hey.”

Asher looks up from his screen being careful to lower it so he's not thought some loon for the stuff he's been looking up being hidden away in the corner like he is.

“You’re in Dr. Whitt’s Anthro class.”

Asher hesitantly nods, glancing around the almost deserted library wondering if he's about to get punk’d.  “…Yeah…” because Sean was the a-hole above the a-holes at the fraternity Asher was considering pledging his first year.

“Me too.” He leans on the table; both hands splayed flat, his face encroaching on Asher's space. “So listen, I've got a game going-.”

“What?” Asher frowns, looks around again trying to spot the accomplice hiding in the shelves with the camera because this isn't how people get invited to ‘secret’ poker games. And he's not sure but thinks Sean doesn’t remember the hazing… or the retaliation.

“A game, man.” Sean scowls wondering if maybe he should ask someone else but then there's no time to waste. “Look, you want in or what?”

“Me.” Asher repeats, surprised by the invite. “Yeah.” He agrees because it’s better than sitting around trying to find the boogey monster on his campus. “I'm in.” and taking money from the a-hole is gonna be a plus.

“Let’s go.”

“Now?” Asher startles and he's getting all sorts of help packing up his gear. “Right now- uh, I got this. Thanks.” He puts his laptop away and slips on his jacket while Sean leads the way.

**~ J & T ~**

Bhaze has his own Hunt to worry about for now.  What he thought was a simple haunting he could take care of on his own _isn't_ but then Bhaze was trying to hurry and get it done so he could head over to Asher’s hunt. Go figure the dummy would actually find a monster on his campus… But the haunted and abandoned camp site Bhaze researched isn't exactly what he’d thought.

It wasn’t difficult to get himself temporarily hired as the new security guard, not when every other guard refuses the assignment or just quits. Smart, considering the last four have been found dead just a week into the post. Two drowned and two hanging from the big tree near the water.

There's nothing strange his first night walking around the camp. It’s going to be re-opened; well at least it was before the unexplained murders made it to the papers. He checks for EMF and gets nothing, not even a slight ping for his trouble and its friggin’ cold.

His second night, Bhaze catches sight of something near the water but when he looks there's nothing there, not one print in the moist earth ... Bhaze looks up the camp-site history once more but there's nothing out of the ordinary or supernatural that he can see and he's not without experience.

The trouble starts the next evening when he's on duty doing his walk through the camp. At first Bhaze isn't sure there's anything there but he goes to check it out anyway. It’s what he's paid for…

The shadow has the shape of a man. That’s all Bhaze can see before something knocks him down. He's not sure what happens-if he passes out or not- but he's hearing voices.

“Bhaze!”

He wonders if she's real. She sounds worried, concern in the urgent tone of her voice as she calls him again. The last time … she’d been pissed at him.

“Bhaze **-** damn it! Open your eyes, dumbass.” She grabs his jacket collar and gives it a harsh tug. She's rewarded with the brief flash of blue before he closes his eyes again.

“Cam…?” he mutters and wonders if she's still angry with him for breaking up.

“I hate when you call me that.” Camilla snaps with a smack on his chest before she hauls him into a sitting position.

“Is your boyfriend awake, yet?”

Bhaze has no doubt of whose voice that is. He turns to get a look at the guy in black cargo pants and leather jacket and utters a snort of laughter. Macer’s sense of style hasn’t shifted much since his time in the military.

“Burn it.” Camilla orders leaving Bhaze to sit on his own. She's not rising to the bait her brother lays out. It’s been months without a word between them, Camilla and Bhaze. He didn’t want to wait around on her to get over what he calls her GI Jane phase. And she couldn’t make him understand why it’s important to her.

The whoosh of the fire lights the ground as Bhaze gets to his feet. “What are you doing?” he winces, touching the back of his head where there's a knot fully formed already.

“Saving your ass, that’s what.” Macer laughs coming to stand beside Bhaze. He fingers the guard uniform and grins. “You working a 9 to 5, Duke?”

“Its 2 in the morning, Macer.” Bhaze retorts. “I'm hunting.”

“And we just saved your ass.” Camilla repeats. “What the hell were you thinking, Bhaze?”

“Huh?” Bhaze doesn’t get where she comes off getting mad at him. They dropped in on _his_ hunt.

Macer chuckles. “Wow, blonds…”

“Yes we do have more fun.” Bhaze retorts before Macer can fill in the blank. “This is my hunt, Cam.” He turns back to her and tries very hard to ignore how much he's missed her. Or admire the way the firelight makes her hair turn a deeper bronze-

“Idiot.” Camilla snaps. She points to the totem pole still on fire. “Did you look up _anything_ on this camp? Did you get past the initial research, Bhaze? Did you figure out that’s a shame pole? Its purpose to shame the tribe into repaying a debt and the a-hole who bought this camp thought it would look cool, give the place some authenticity. How many people are dead, Bhaze?”

Macer doesn’t lose his grin, he sorta misses their arguing and his sister hasn’t been this engaging in months. He knows Camilla thought Bhaze would look for her, all she had to do was give him time.

“I did my research.” Bhaze glares. He never did like having his faults pointed out especially when it was about a hunt. “You wanna lecture on the do’s and don’ts of a hunt you find someone else, Camilla. I'm a big boy-.”

“Who almost died.” Camilla cuts in. “A thank you would be ‘polite’ cus I know you've got some manners or did you forget those too.” Because he seems to have forgotten her phone number.

“Thank you!” Bhaze yells.

“Aw, please don’t do the face sucking with me right here.” Macer groans. “I’ll see you at the truck, Mills.”

“Don’t call me that!” Camilla yells after him. “You're both _idiots_.” She huffs with a glare at Bhaze.

“You got anything other than insults for me?” Bhaze demands. There's a question other than what's voiced and she knows this.

_“I'm not waiting around forever, Milla. You're it. You're the one… Why isn't it enough?”_

She couldn’t make the choice then…

**~ J & T ~**

It’s the school library and Tëmpe knows better than to surf the net researching her hunt. That doesn’t mean she isn't careful and there are certain sites and search words to avoid if she wants to keep from getting locked out of the system and the Duke’s from being called in to another meeting with the school principal. There's been enough of that since she was ‘reprimanded’ for putting Jesse out. It didn’t help that Lilah complained loudly over the ruined sweater. One that Luke paid to replace.

Tëmpe's smirk flits about the corners of her mouth thinking about the fire last week. It wasn’t huge by any means but the class definitely panicked. As usual, Jesse and his table had been goofing around. With the chemicals set out…it's always a recipe for disaster. The mini explosion in the lab had the girls screaming murder- Tëmpe snorts, shaking her head at the memory.

_‘They'd never survive a hunt.’_

Jesse had caught on fire, his sleeve going up in seconds, panicked and knocked over the beakers on his table. Tëmpe had hung back, watching to see if anyone was going to jump in- like Mrs. Fowler- the adult responsible for the teenagers in her chem. class. Of course, Mrs. Fowler cowered behind her desk trying to sneak her way past the flailing kid on fire to the door. With a slight huff of annoyance Tëmpe had moved in close to Jesse and swept his legs out. The sweater was right there, hanging off the back of the chair… what else was she supposed to use? Her hands? Ha!

The fire out, Jesse moaning like he was about to die and Lilah screeching about her ruined sweater… And the fire extinguisher in Jon's hands, because Jesse had started a second fire with the chemicals he spilled in his panic. Still, Tëmpeztrà was the only one called into the office; one, for kicking Jesse down. Two, the sweater she burned while putting out Jesse. Three, so she knows to let the adults handle matters next time.

“Idiots.” Tëmpe scowls at the screen, eyes flashing with annoyance and just a little bit of anger. All she did was help, she didn’t hurt anyone- as a matter of fact, she’d kept the entire class from getting burned _and_ put out the flames on Jesse’s jacket sleeve while Mrs. Fowler – the adult in charge- did squat! Why the hell was Tëmpeztrà getting a talking to?

“Hey,”

Tëmpeztrà clicks the screensaver and looks up.

“Uh…” Jesse looks around the library and Tëmpe wonders what the kid is doing in there. “So, uh, I just…”

“Do you want to get to the end…?” Tëmpeztrà urges. She offers a smile to mitigate the sting of her words and Jesse draws a breath.

“Yeah, thanks.” He motions to his arm- bandaged and covered. “For… thanks.”

“Yeah.” Tëmpe's a little surprised by the ‘thank you’. She didn’t expect it. Hell, Lilah gives her the evil eye anytime they cross paths. “Anytime.”

“Right.” Jesse laughs, nervous and looks around again but Mr. Jones doesn’t look up from his book. “See ya.” Jesse walks away and at the door are the other two goof offs from chem. class. The three leave…they look so normal. Laughing, teasing each other, joking around and just going about their lives without a clue of the darkness just under surface. She spares a second to wonder if maybe it wouldn’t be so bad? Couldn’t she do as Bhaze asked and be a normal 16year old girl just for a little while?

“Daydreaming again, Duke?”

Tëmpe startles and pulling the chair out at the station beside her is Jon.

“You're gonna get your ass handed to you sneaking up on people, O'Neill.” Tëmpe growls with a slight scowl for him. She had been daydreaming, about a life that she wasn’t going to live and never noticed Jon approach.

He chuckles and logs into the computer. “Think you could?” he teases. Jon was there, they both gave better than they got and the jocks had been worse off for their troubles. What Jon didn’t get was why Tëmpeztrà was well versed in hand to hand combat. And curiouser still, some of those moves were standard military training. So who…?

“Don’t tempt me.” Tëmpe grumbles under her breath and saves the info she dug up on her hunt to the external drive she pockets. She turns to Jon and he's holding up the assignment sheet. “Great. I left this behind for a reason.” She grumbles shaking the sheet at him.

“I know.” Jon agrees amicably. He's amused and it’s not often he feels this lighthearted. “Figured I’d annoy you by bringing it to ya.” He glances at her, smiling. “Annoyed yet?”

Tëmpe reclines on the seat and stares at Jon. He's quiet, not at all like the boys in school, a lot more mature than she thinks he could be but so far- “Why?”

Jon chuckles and turns back to his screen. He shrugs. He's not actually sure _why_ but it just feels natural, their teasing and banter and even the silence as they sit under her tree for lunch. He's still adjusting to being _Jon_ but at least he's not missing being Jack as much as he used to. It helps that Daniel sneaks in some phone time every once in a long while.

“I’ll see you after school.” Tëmpe grabs her bag and slips the strap over her shoulder when she feels a sharp tug and finds that Jon has grabbed her bag. “You need something?”She almost wants to smack his hand away- _almost_ and that’s the problem. Because Tëmpe doesn’t.

“You forgot this.” Jon hides the smirk at her annoyance. She snatches the assignment sheet out of his hand and walks off definitely annoyed. Jon can't help the chuckle and his amusement at her expense.

**~ J & T ~**

Aspen has the tray ready; a batch of fresh baked cookies and lemonade. She heads out of the kitchen and through the living room where Luke is sitting with a direct line of sight of the kids out on the porch.

Tëmpeztrà does her best to ignore Aspen as she cheerfully sets the tray on the table.

“Thank you.” Jon takes the glass with a polite smile.

“You're welcome.” Aspen is pleased with the polite boy. Tëmpeztrà rolls her eyes careful to keep her head ducked so her aunt doesn’t notice. “If you want anything else-.”

“We really don’t. Thank you.” Tëmpe cuts in with a forced smile. She’d rather be left alone to finish the work because there's a hunt she would prefer to be preparing for.

“Okay, then…” Aspen heads back into the living room and spots the slight scowl on Luke's face. “What now?” she sighs moving towards him.

“Nothing.” Luke shifts in his chair, the paper he was pretending to read is smoothed out again and raised only Aspen takes it from him and sets it aside.

“That nothing is something Luke.” She sits on the arm of the chair. “Come on; tell me what has that frown on your face.”

Luke sighs. “What do you know about this kid?” he juts his chin towards Jon sitting out on the porch with Tëmpe.

“…” Aspen laughs. “Aww, Luke.”

“What?” Luke frowns. His attention on his wife and the soft smile on her face.

“You're worried?”

Luke grumbles under his breath, uncomfortable but it’s true.

“Luke, you didn’t have a problem when Jon came over to study with Asher.”

“It’s different with girls.” Luke mutters and gets rewarded with a kiss.

Aspen just thinks it’s adorable.

**~ J & T ~**

It’s an architectural firm- the top floors where the burning elevator cooked the guy who turns out to be the VP.  The bad guy is a woman, the scorned woman, funny as it may seem and as ridiculous as it sounds. The bad part is the woman, well, she's a witch. On the far side of the spectrum from Glinda as it’s possible to get.

Pretending to be a nerdy girl interested in writing an article for her school paper because it just looks so much better on college applications wasn’t that difficult to pull off. The bus ride is the real trouble and using a study date with Jon as her excuse for coming home way past the dinner bell gets Luke off her back.

The problem is the witch.

Tëmpeztrà has to call for information but who to call when Bhaze knows the same people and they’d be likely to mention it to her brother, assuming they didn’t believe she was calling for research on _his_ hunt…

She's got an email address for Hunter that Tëmpe figures will be easier to get around questions if she avoids using the phone. By the time she gets back to _Willow Fells_ there's a reply in her in-box but with Luke pacing the hallway it’s not until morning that Tëmpe has a chance to open it.

_A witch?_

_Seems too easy._

_Send me what you have._

 

“Easy?” Tëmpeztrà glares at the screen. “What the fuck-“

“Language, Duke.” Jon takes the seat beside her and slides the chocolate peanut butter muffin towards her as a peace offering seeing the scowl on her face.

“Damn…Jon.” Tëmpeztrà huffs just a tad annoyed with him because taking the muffin means she shouldn’t be mad at him for startling her. “I'm annoyed. And you need a bell or something.”

Jon laughs. This is nice, easy and … fun at times. The only dark cloud is that he finds himself becoming too comfortable with Tëmpeztrà that at times he wants to confide in her. Spill that secret but the harsh reality always stops Jon. No one can ever know.

Class starts and Tëmpe has to pretend to be interested in Mrs. Sanders lesson on _typing_ … gah. _‘Kill me.’_ And she actually types that over and over instead of following the lesson.

“You must want out of the honors program.” Jon whispers when he sees her screen. He's had no problem with the curriculum and the college course he's taking at night just keeps him busy. He's covering all the bases because whatever future Jon decides on- he doesn’t want to waste any time on his second chance.

“I’d rather be …” Tëmpeztrà glances over at Jon and belatedly remembers she can't tell him _what_ she’d rather. “Sprayed with hot wax like the fool in **House of Wax**.”

“That bad…” Jon smirks.

“Haven’t seen it have you?” Tëmpe smiles and gives a slight shake of her head when Jon nods confirmation. “You lack ‘culture’ Jonny-boy.”

Jon winces at the nickname but refrains from pointing out he doesn’t like it because that’s only going to egg her on.

By the end of class Tëmpeztrà is pleased to find an email waiting.

 

_Like I said. Easy._

_So._

_You gotta find this bad-ass’s power source. She's old._

_I found more ‘victims’ far back as 1852._

“How the hell….?” Tëmpe frowns and glances over the screen just to make sure she hasn’t been overheard. Beside her there's a snicker of laughter and she has to subdue the urge to kick him.

 

_Check out the attachments, there's a couple pictures and a little something you might find interesting._

_Catch ya’ on the flip side._

“That’s it?” Tëmpe doesn’t believe it’s this easy because information- especially good research- never comes this fast. Still, this guy is supposed to be good when it comes to information. Some kind of genius … She opens the attachments and finds pictures-3 to be exact and all of them of the same woman. An old Victorian portrait, a flapper and a 50’s almost pin up style image. The ‘interesting’ piece is sitting right on her neck same as it had been when Tëmpe conducted the interviews. “Got you.”

The bells rings just in time and Tëmpeztrà hurries out before Jon has finished packing up his books. He peeks at her computer but it’s blank so he has no idea what she was muttering to herself about.

**~ J & T ~**

This is the second night in a row that Asher has been invited to play. He doesn’t mind-can't wait- and she's always there. Her name is Sara. When she looks at him it feels like everything in the world falls away and it’s just the two of them. Asher thinks this is what it’s like to fall in love and it doesn’t matter that he knows nothing about her – nothing at all!

Asher has completely forgotten about the hunt and his cousin.

Bhaze is worried because he hasn’t heard from Asher in a week. He doesn’t answer his phone. Macer and Camilla tag along, Cam asking him all sorts of questions about the hunt Asher was supposed to research and pass along but nothing got passed and he finally has enough. “I don’t know shit, alright!”

_“Hey, you’re the dumb ass who put your cousin on research duty when he doesn’t know the first thing about hunting.”_ Camilla snaps back. She hangs up and fumes trying not to feel bad about being mean to Bhaze when he's worried about his cousin.

Macer wisely keeps quiet and ignores their latest spat. He thinks about trying to talk his sister out of her plans but she’s just as stubborn as Bhaze and nothing anyone says is going to alter their plans. Either way, Macer thinks they’re both too young to plan on ‘forever’.

_‘Maybe a little time to grow up isn’t so bad for them…’_ because Macer likes Bhaze.

Its two long days on the road before they finally arrive and Bhaze wastes no time in getting to Asher’s dorm building. He bangs on the door calling for him until the door opens. He pushes past the obviously hung over kid and rounds on him when Asher isn’t in his bed. “Where’s Asher?”

“Dude, I don’t know.” He emits a squak of surprise when Bhaze grabs him by the throat and shoves him against the wall.

“When’d you see him last?” his tone is all business and the bugged out eyes staring back at Bhaze aren’t so clouded with sleep.

“He-he h-had a date! Holly! She was pissed he blew her off. Haven’t seen ‘im since! I swear!”

“Where can we find her?” Camilla steps in when Bhaze finally lets him go.

“Holly? She’s uhm, Hamilton House. On Sorority Row.”

“Come on.” Camilla motions Bhaze out the door first and has to hurry her pace to keep up with him. Behind them the door shuts firmly. _‘Great, friggin’ fantastic.’_ She’s not up to hunting with Bhaze in this mood.

“So?” Macer slowly moves away from their truck and starts around to the driver’s side as they come out.

“We’re going to find a sorority girl.” Camilla sighs. Macer grins adding some pep to his step.

“Follow me.” Bhaze jumps into the **_General Lee_** – it’s been 4days. He doesn’t want to think of the possibility there’s nothing to save because he can’t tell Luke and Aspen their only child is dead.

That’s the conversation in the truck between the siblings.

“He’s going to-.”

“We’ll find him.” Camilla assures with more confidence than she feels. It’s only been a year since Bhaze lost his Mother… he had to be strong for Tëmpeztrà but Camilla remembers what he was like after Bo died. When he didn’t have to pretend to be strong for his Mother and sister. When he’d allow Camilla to console him…

The sorority house is a large, white, plantation style with four floors. Extravagant is the only word to describe it and when they make it inside there’s not much different.

They find Holly with her ‘sisters’ primping for a party. Camilla stamps down the urge to pull out the extensions. The only saving grace is that Bhaze is too busy worrying over his cousin to notice the sorority girl flirting with him.

_‘We broke up.’_ Camilla reminds herself and thankfully Holly is useless to them so they leave ignoring the invitation to the frat party.

“Why not look around?” Macer proposes with wandering eyes on the girls in the house. “Bhaze, you just might find your cousin has been scratching his itch with a different girl.”

“You're a pig.” Camilla grumbles and its totally like her brother to make a comment like that. “I can't believe we’re related.”

“My cousin is missing” Bhaze snaps. “Can we get back to that or is this another joke?”

“Hey, don’t get pissy with me, Duke.” Camilla is quick to throw the brakes on Bhaze’s bad attitude. She knows how bad it can get and right now he needs to stay focused on what's important. “We’re helping you find your cousin. So let’s go back to his dorm room.”

“He's not there.” Bhaze glares.

“But his things _are_.” Camilla points out. “You had him do research. He's got a computer doesn’t he?”

“Yeah, but he was heading to the library on campus-.”

“The information is still on his lap top, Bhaze. It doesn’t matter where he was as long as his lap top isn't missing along with him.”

“She makes sense.” Macer agrees pushing both of them towards the cars. Bhaze snorts.

“I know what that means.” Camilla calls to his back. He doesn’t reply but he doesn’t have to.

The trio has a hard time getting back into Asher's dorm room. Camilla picks the lock and Macer helps Asher's roommate out the door with half his clothes on protesting about getting kicked out of his room.

It doesn’t take long for Camilla to find the information Asher had looked up.

“There's a party in your future, Duke.” Camilla turns the lap top and shows them the articles Asher saved.

Macer is grinning. “I love me a good party.”

**~ J & T ~**


	3. Hunting II

  
 

**~ J & T ~**

It's an architectural firm- the top floors where the burning elevator cooked the guy who turns out to be the VP. The bad guy is a woman, the scorned woman, funny as it may seem and as ridiculous as it sounds. The bad part is the woman, well, she's a witch. On the far side of the spectrum from Glinda as it's possible to get.

Pretending to be a nerdy girl interested in writing an article for her school paper because it just looks so much better on college applications wasn't that difficult to pull off. The bus ride is the real trouble and using a study date with Jon as her excuse for coming home way past the dinner bell gets Luke off her back.

The problem is the witch.

Tëmpeztrà has to call for information but who to call when Bhaze knows the same people and they'd be likely to mention it to her brother, assuming they didn't believe she was calling for research on _his_ hunt…

She's got an email address for Hunter that Tëmpe figures will be easier to get around questions if she avoids using the phone. By the time she gets back to _Willow Fells_ there's a reply in her in-box but with Luke pacing the hallway it's not until morning that Tëmpe has a chance to open it.

_A witch?_

_Seems too easy._

_Send me what you have._

"Easy?" Tëmpeztrà glares at the screen. "What the fuck-"

"Language, Duke." Jon takes the seat beside her and slides the chocolate peanut butter muffin towards her as a peace offering seeing the scowl on her face.

"Damn…Jon." Tëmpeztrà huffs just a tad annoyed with him because taking the muffin means she shouldn't be mad at him for startling her. "I'm annoyed. And you need a bell or something."

Jon laughs. This is nice, easy and … fun at times. The only dark cloud is that he finds himself becoming too comfortable with Tëmpeztrà that at times he wants to confide in her. Spill that secret but the harsh reality always stops Jon. No one can ever know.

Class starts and Tëmpe has to pretend to be interested in Mrs. Sanders lesson on _typing_ … gah. _'Kill me.'_ And she actually types that over and over instead of following the lesson.

"You must want out of the honors program." Jon whispers when he sees her screen. He's had no problem with the curriculum and the college course he's taking at night just keeps him busy. He's covering all the bases because whatever future Jon decides on- he doesn't want to waste any time on his second chance.

"I'd rather be …" Tëmpeztrà glances over at Jon and belatedly remembers she can't tell him _what_ she'd rather. "Sprayed with hot wax like the fool in **House of Wax**."

"That bad…" Jon smirks.

"Haven't seen it have you?" Tëmpe smiles and gives a slight shake of her head when Jon nods confirmation. "You lack 'culture' Jonny-boy."

Jon winces at the nickname but refrains from pointing out he doesn't like it because that's only going to egg her on.

By the end of class Tëmpeztrà is pleased to find an email waiting.

_Like I said. Easy._

_So._

_You gotta find this bad-ass's power source. She's old._

_I found more 'victims' far back as 1852._

"How the hell….?" Tëmpe frowns and glances over the screen just to make sure she hasn't been overheard. Beside her there's a snicker of laughter and she has to subdue the urge to kick him.

_Check out the attachments, there's a couple pictures and a little something you might find interesting._

_Catch ya' on the flip side._

"That's it?" Tëmpe doesn't believe it's this easy because information- especially good research- never comes this fast. Still, this guy is supposed to be good when it comes to information. Some kind of genius … She opens the attachments and finds pictures-3 to be exact and all of them of the same woman. An old Victorian portrait, a flapper and a 50's almost pin up style image. The 'interesting' piece is sitting right on her neck same as it had been when Tëmpe conducted the interviews. "Got you."

The bells rings just in time and Tëmpeztrà hurries out before Jon has finished packing up his books. He peeks at her computer but it's blank so he has no idea what she was muttering to herself about.

 

**~ J & T ~**

This is the second night in a row that Asher has been invited to play. He doesn't mind-can't wait- and she's always there.

Her name is Sara.

When she looks at him it feels like everything in the world falls away and it's just the two of them. Asher thinks this is what it's like to fall in love and it doesn't matter that he knows nothing about her – nothing at all!

Asher has completely forgotten about the hunt and his cousin.

Bhaze is worried because he hasn't heard from Asher in a week. He doesn't answer his phone. Macer and Camilla tag along, Cam asking him all sorts of questions about the hunt Asher was supposed to research and pass along but nothing got passed and he finally has enough. "I don't know shit, alright!"

 _"Hey, you're the dumb ass who put your cousin on research duty when he doesn't know the first thing about hunting."_ Camilla snaps back. She hangs up and fumes trying not to feel bad about being mean to Bhaze when he's worried about his cousin.

Macer wisely keeps quiet and ignores their latest spat. He thinks about trying to talk his sister out of her plans but she's just as stubborn as Bhaze and nothing anyone says is going to alter their plans. Either way, Macer thinks they're both too young to plan on 'forever'.

 _'Maybe a little time to grow up isn't so bad for them…'_ because Macer likes Bhaze.

Its two long days on the road before they finally arrive and Bhaze wastes no time in getting to Asher's dorm building. He bangs on the door calling for him until the door opens. He pushes past the obviously hung over kid and rounds on him when Asher isn't in his bed. "Where's Asher?"

"Dude, I don't know." He emits a squak of surprise when Bhaze grabs him by the throat and shoves him against the wall.

"When'd you see him last?" his tone is all business and the bugged out eyes staring back at Bhaze aren't so clouded with sleep.

"He-he h-had a date! Holly! She was pissed he blew her off. Haven't seen 'im since! I swear!"

"Where can we find her?" Camilla steps in when Bhaze finally lets him go.

"Holly? She's uhm, Hamilton House. On Sorority Row."

"Come on." Camilla motions Bhaze out the door first and has to hurry her pace to keep up with him. Behind them the door shuts firmly. _'Great, friggin' fantastic.'_ She's not up to hunting with Bhaze in this mood.

"So?" Macer slowly moves away from their truck and starts around to the driver's side as they come out.

"We're going to find a sorority girl." Camilla sighs. Macer grins adding some pep to his step.

"Follow me." Bhaze jumps into the **_General Lee_** – it's been 4days. He doesn't want to think of the possibility there's nothing to save because he can't tell Luke and Aspen their only child is dead.

That's the conversation in the truck between the siblings.

"He's going to-."

"We'll find him." Camilla assures with more confidence than she feels. It's only been a year since Bhaze lost his Mother… he had to be strong for Tëmpeztrà but Camilla remembers what he was like after Bo died. When he didn't have to pretend to be strong for his Mother and sister. When he'd allow Camilla to console him…

The sorority house is a large, white, plantation style with four floors. Extravagant is the only word to describe it and when they make it inside there's not much different.

They find Holly with her 'sisters' primping for a party. Camilla stamps down the urge to pull out the extensions. The only saving grace is that Bhaze is too busy worrying over his cousin to notice the sorority girl flirting with him.

 _'We broke up.'_ Camilla reminds herself and thankfully Holly is useless to them so they leave ignoring the invitation to the frat party.

"Why not look around?" Macer proposes with wandering eyes on the girls in the house. "Bhaze, you just might find your cousin has been scratching his itch with a different girl."

"You're a pig." Camilla grumbles and it's totally like her brother to make a comment like that. "I can't believe we're related."

"My cousin is missing." Bhaze snaps. "Can we get back to that or is this another joke?"

"Hey, don't get pissy with me, Duke." Camilla is quick to throw the brakes on Bhaze's bad attitude. She knows how bad it can get and right now he needs to stay focused on what's important. "We're helping you find your cousin. So let's go back to his dorm room."

"He's not there." Bhaze glares.

"But his things _are_." Camilla points out. "You had him do research. He's got a computer doesn't he?"

"Yeah, but he was heading to the library on campus-."

"The information is still on his lap top, Bhaze. It doesn't matter where he was as long as his lap top isn't missing along with him."

"She makes sense." Macer agrees pushing both of them towards the cars. Bhaze snorts.

"I know what that means." Camilla calls to his back. He doesn't reply but he doesn't have to.

The trio has a hard time getting back into Asher's dorm room. Camilla picks the lock and Macer helps Asher's roommate out the door with half his clothes on protesting about getting kicked out of _his_ room.

It doesn't take long for Camilla to find the information Asher had looked up.

"There's a party in your future, Duke." Camilla turns the lap top and shows them the articles Asher saved.

Macer is grinning. "I love me a good party."

 

**~ J & T ~**

Jon doesn't see Tëmpeztrà the rest of the day. She's not at her usual spot under the tree and she doesn't walk into Gregory's class either. Jon doesn't get why Gregory looks at him as though Jon should know the whereabouts of the girl in the seat in front of his. It's the last hour of the school day and Jon is looking forward to the end of his suffering. That's when he realizes school hasn't been as terrible as it was with Tëmpeztrà around.

It's an impulse. Instead of heading home Jon goes to Tëmpeztrà's house. He's been there enough it doesn't seem weird and Aspen is just as nice as the first time. There's lemonade and another batch of cookies set in front of him before Jon realizes he's put his foot in it when Aspen starts asking why Tëmpe isn't with him.

What's he supposed to say?

 _Well, she sorta didn't show up for class…_ oh, yeah. That would go over just great. Before he can make his escape Luke walks in the front door and scowls. Jon knows that look. The one all Father's give to teenage boys sniffing around their teenage daughters.

"Hello Mr. Duke." Jon stands and almost offers his hand but then it wouldn't be the normal teenage boy reaction. And he's doing a bad job of looking intimidated by the scowl Luke has leveled on him.

Luke doesn't bother with a reply and Aspen goes to his side and slips her arm through his. She smiles at Jon while digging her nails into Luke's arm as a warning to be nice.

"Thank you for the lemonade." Jon starts to make his way before he's asked again after Tëmpeztrà. It's obvious they aren't buying his story but he makes it out in one piece. Jon hopes it's not a lot of trouble he's just dumped on the girl with the sarcastic tongue and sass he can barely admit lightens up the gloomy thoughts on replay in his head.

 

**~ J & T ~**

Trouble is exactly what Tëmpeztrà gets herself into.

_'The fucking bitch.'_

Still, no amount of cursing is going to make the pain go away. Sloane always told them to prepare for the unexpected. Apparently it was the one lesson of her Mother's that Tëmpe needed to re-learn.

The hasty bandage and splint make her sleeve bulky, most of the blood washed out and as long as Tëmpeztrà can grab the supplies she's intending to steal from the emergency room there won't be any need to explain why she's trailing blood into Luke's home.

The curious eyes of the nurse being called off make Tëmpeztrà nervous and she hurries past before the woman decides to turn around and question what she's doing skulking around alone.

She tugs on the hood of her sweater to keep her face hidden and slips into the supply room. What she needs is quickly dumped into the satchel slung across her shoulder and a memory of doing this with Sloane floats up unexpectedly. The sting of tears makes her blink furiously as she listens at the door to make sure there's no one who will stop her and then she's out, walking through the sliding door and onto the busy street.

The gas station bathroom isn't the sterile environment recommended for the first aid Tëmpeztrà performs on the laceration the length of her forearm. She's not a stranger to the situation though it's the first time Sloane isn't there to do this for Tëmpe. The trail of tears is partly from the loss of her parents but there's pain as well.

On the walk back to the Duke home Tëmpe is wishing she had taken some of those pain killers so she didn't have to feel the throbbing up and down her arm. Maybe that's why she doesn't notice the truck pulling away from the curb half a block ahead until she looks up.

"Aw, hell…" Tëmpe swears under her breath hoping it's not the same black truck she's seen parked in front of the Duke's house on those days when Jon came over to work on that stupid chem. project.

She hurries and sure enough Luke's truck is in the drive and opening the gate alerts them to her presence. Their voices carry as both Luke and Aspen come out to the porch as Tëmpeztrà makes her way up the steps.

"You weren't in school." Luke has the phone in his hand, glaring at his niece while the school recording plays out.

"Got out early." Tëmpe walks past them into the house.

It's the last straw. Luke's had enough of her attitude and he grabs her arm. The scream startles him and the blow to his leg from Tëmpe's boot sits him half in the arm chair in the living room.

"What?" Aspen's wide eyed shock gives way to a gasp at the blood clearly seeping into Tëmpeztrà's 'new' sweater. Not that Aspen would know it was new. Or that Tëmpe bought it on her way home from the gas station where she'd stitched herself up and now Luke has managed to pull that open.

"Don't!" Tëmpe pulls away from Aspen as she reaches out. "Touch me, just…don't."

"What the hell have you been doing?" Luke demands getting to his feet and swallowing the wince from his sore leg. He assuming it has to do with a hunt but how and where the hell would she go off to hunt?

"We should go to the hospital." Aspen waves her hand at Tëmpeztrà urging her out of the house again. "Let's go. Come on Tëmpeztrà, you need to see a doctor."

"I can take care of myself." Tëmpeztrà clenches her jaw tight but the throbbing pain is worse.

"Yeah." Luke agrees with heavy sarcasm. "You're doing just great, Tëmpeztrà." He wants to say more but bites his tongue against the worst of the things on the tip of his tongue because he wants to change _this_. She's Bo's; his little girl and there had been a time when Tëmpe had loved Luke too.

"I hustled some cash and the drunk wasn't having it." Tëmpe spits out the lie with ease. "Figured I wouldn't put up a fight. So you can find something else to blame this on."

"What do you need to do that for?" Luke demands. "You have a roof over your head, Tëmpeztrà. Clothes on your back, food to eat. I provide -."

"Food, clothes?" Tëmpe scoffs. "That's not all I need, Luke." She could get those things on her own if people making the stupid law would just leave her the hell alone instead of forcing her to live with him.

"Enough." Aspen intervenes before Luke can snap in anger and make it worse. "Stop this, _both_ of you. Why can't either of you let it go?"

Tëmpe offers a harsh laugh, her eyes never leaving Luke's. "I don't care who you are. No one gets to bad mouth my Mother. You weren't there. You don't know shit about what happened or what she gave up. Kick me out; send me to some damn foster home for all I care. You're taking away the last person from _my_ family because you're pissed about Dad choosing to live like Hunter for Mom!" Tëmpeztrà drags in a breath, her cheeks flushed and tears burning her eyes. The lump in her throat won't let her scream anything else so she runs up the stairs and kicks the door shut because her arm hurts too much to slam it.

Luke drops into the armchair, hands covering his face and Tëmpe's words ringing in his ears.

"This has to stop, Luke." Aspen's voice is soft by comparison. "Both of you have to let this go." She sits on the couch, her hand resting on his thigh.

 

**~ J & T ~**

Macer spots the hot brunette and the frat boys fawning over her like her own personal man servants. It's kinda ridiculous but it brings to mind something from his grandfather's journal that just fits in well with the research Asher stowed on his lap top. The clippings help to; of the frat guys going psycho. They've given 'killer party' a whole new meaning, more literal than anyone would like.

Macer moves over to where the girl is holding court just as Bhaze grabs one of her admirers.

"Where the hell have you been?" Bhaze yells. He's ignored for all the trouble he's been too and the scowl on his face falters. "Asher!" because that's not like his cousin.

Macer watches them scuffle before the girl inserts herself between them. He's not close enough to hear what she's telling them but the change in Bhaze is noticeable. "Shit."

"Hey-."

Macer grabs his sister and drags her towards the group explaining in a loud whisper. "I know what she is."

"Who?"

"The girl your not boyfriend is fawning over along with his cousin and those frat jocks." Macer juts his chin in their direction and shoves a drunk guy out of their way.

Camilla's eyes narrow on the group, easily spotting Bhaze and she can't help the stab of jealousy that grips her.

"You remember grampops story of the Apsara?" Macer shoves another guy coming towards them and ignores the curse thrown at him. "She's kinda like a siren. If she sings… you won't be getting him back, Cam."

"You know how to kill it?" Camilla's eyes lock on the brunette.

"You want me to get your not boyfriend away or kill the monster?" Macer drops her arm, an eyebrow raised in question.

"I'll get her outside." Camilla's tone doesn't bode well for the Apsara. "You keep the boys off us. They'll want to protect her and Bhaze can fight."

Macer snorts. "You not boyfriend -."

"Shut up." Camilla orders.

 

**~ J & T ~**

Tëmpe picks up the phone but just stares at it. She's sitting on her bed, tears long dried on her cheeks and the moon spilling in through the closed window.

_'Mom would kick my ass for doing this alone.'_

It's not like she doesn't know better. If you hunt alone then you need to have a backup plan for the backup plan in case things go south.

Tëmpeztrà could have died.

Bo would never have found her.

He'd be left alone and Tëmpe sheds more tears over the fact she was close to the edge, has been ever since arriving in **_Willow Fells_**.

 _'I just want to go home.'_ Tëmpeztrà wipes the tears from her cheek with the back of her hand then dials. She doesn't worry when Bhaze' voice mail kicks in.

"Hey," she takes a breath that sounds a lot like a sigh and her brother is going to ask about it later. "I have a case you'll find interesting. Not far from here so call me when you get a chance. This can't wait. I love you Bhaze."

Tëmpe drops the cell phone on her bed and curls up against the headboard.

 

**~ J & T ~**


	4. Middle Gorund

 

**~ J & T ~**

Jon spots Tëmpeztrà Monday morning as they head into class. She takes her seat and doesn't say a word. She doesn't even look at him which isn't like her at all. He spends the rest of the hour stealing glances in her direction, wondering what's going on. As soon as the bell rings, the kids swarm out of the classroom. Jon hangs back noticing that Tëmpeztrà doesn't join the mob bottlenecking the door.

"Hey." He brushes up against her arm and the books cradled there only to watch as she heads out into the hallway without a word in response. "What the hell?"

Jon hurries out and catches her at the lockers. "So…silent treatment?" he takes a guess and still there's no response. Well, a slight twitch of her lips and the definite clenching of her jaw. "Ok." He starts walking away but he doesn't like the feeling of Tëmpe being mad at him. "I'm going to regret this." He can just feel it but turns around and follows the girl pissed at him.

 _'I should know better than this.'_ Jon shakes his head because all those years of _Jack's_ experience are all his too. He reaches for her arm, his hand lightly wrapping around her sleeve. "Hey,"

Tëmpe feels the sharp sting of his hand on her arm and the laceration she's re-stitched thanks to Luke. It burns almost as bad as that, a little more when she yanks her arm away and turns.

"Woa!" Jon's back slams into the lockers, her books scattered in the almost empty hallway and her forearm is pressed against his chest –as high as she can reach- and she's pissed at him.

"So far as I'm aware I never once said we'd hang out at the Duke's place. Study partner or not."Tëmpe shoves her arm at him a little harder but his eyes are locked on the stain seeping through her sleeve.

"What happened to your arm, Tëmpeztrà?" Jon doesn't want to jump to conclusions but there are a lot of things he's seen at the Duke house that certainly give the wrong impression to outsiders. There's plenty he's noticed of the girl playing thug that speak volumes of her emotional state and he still doesn't know much about her. He ignores the few stragglers in the hall casting snickering glances in their direction.

"You're my lab partner, Johnny-boy." Tëmpeztrà steps back. It's just the start of the school day and already it's going to shit. Tëmpeztrà walks off; she doesn't even bother with her books, heading straight to the closest girls' bathroom.

Jon only hesitates a moment before picking up the books and following her. He stands right outside, both of them ignoring the bell signaling they should be in class. There's no one in the hall and Jon is wondering why he's bothering, why he's even getting involved-

"I'm coming in." Jon warns in a loud whisper as he sticks his head into the bathroom. "Ok. …. Tëmpe?" he steps inside and peeks at the floor of the stalls before pushing each door open. She's not in the first or second and the third one has an open window he's pretty sure Tëmpeztrà is small enough to squeeze through and stubborn enough to open in the first place.

"For crying out loud." Jon leans against the stall, blue eyes on the window and almost wants to laugh. But the blood staining her sleeve isn't anything to laugh about.

**~ J & T ~**

She's half through the first year of enforced suburbia hell. The life she's missing is the reason there's blood on her sleeve and pain riding her arm. She knows there's going to be trouble once she makes her way back to the house … Tëmpeztrà couldn't care less. Luke could scream all he wants and it still won't make any difference because for once, all Tëmpe feels is numb.

The sun glints off the colored glass and her feet carry her across the street, up the stone steps and through the double wide dark wood doors. The sound of her boots echo in the cavernous room, row after row of empty pews and the altar simply adorned with the crucifix. It's a silver work of scrolls and lines…

Tëmpe takes a seat at the end of the pew close to the front. Her eyes skip over the ceiling and the faded colors of the pictures above her head. Everything shimmers and bends, a crystal clear frame that breaks as her tears finally spill down her cheeks.

"When is it going to get easier?" her voice echoes softly, a miserable whisper full of her sorrow and loss. There's a family that's broken and divided. Choices that left deep scars and it feels as though there's no one who cares about the ones left behind.

It's Bhaze and his choice- to hunt when it means banishment from the only Duke's left in this family….

**~ J & T ~**

Aspen plays referee whether she likes it or not. She really doesn't like the tension in her home, she doesn't like the quiet that's settled on Tëmpeztrà the past few days and she _really_ doesn't like the morose mood of her husband.

Sometimes, Aspen wishes Sloane hadn't come into Bo's life. All that pain, that blood and the hurt… Luke would still have his brother.

It isn't fair to place the blame for the lives they lead now on a dead woman. But that's how it is and she's forced to bite her tongue on the things she'd add to Luke's.

The whispered 'conversation' taking place in their bedroom is difficult to keep private when Luke insists on raising his voice.

"You want her talking to a shrink so they can put her in a straightjacket once she starts on demons and ghouls and – God only knows what other shit that woman put in her head!"

"Luke!" Aspen frowns, her eyes going to the door before latching on to him. "She's too quiet. She isn't happy-."

"And whose fault is it?" because he's certainly been blamed enough for his niece's bad moods.

"She's 16, Lukas!" Aspen's eyes flash, her lips press into a tight displeased line. "You're a grown man and yes, I _know_ – alright. I know this isn't any easier for you but this isn't healthy." She could tell him to pull on his big boy pants and act like a grown man instead of pitching a fit anytime hunting is mentioned. But that defeats the purpose of their 'talk'.

Luke grabs the extra pillows on his side and tosses them aside before jerking the covers and getting in bed.

He misses Bo. He misses everyone because there's no one left from Hazzard County to reminisce over the good ol' times.

_'What am I doing?'_

Driving Tëmpeztrà to and from school? Grounding her for ditching class when Bo and he sure as hell did worse…

 _'It's the worse I'm worrying about.'_ He scowls at the wall, his back to his wife and why the hell is he pissed at Aspen when all she's done is tell him the truth. Aspen doesn't pull any punches, doesn't mince words… she's an honest person and it's why he loves her.

The bed dips with her weight and she settles on her side. It takes them a long while to fall asleep but he waits her out and when Luke is sure that Aspen wont wake, he turns over, slips his arm around her waist and rests his head beside hers. It's his 'I'm sorry' she's going to wake up to. And he'll say it out loud if she wants him to.

**~ J & T ~**

Asher wakes up to find his cousin and strangers laid out in his dorm room-

"What happened to Harris?" he clears his throat but thankfully doesn't have to try again as Bhaze drops his feet from the desk and swivels the chair to face him.

"Macer helped him out." Bhaze eyes his cousin. "You feel normal?"

Asher frowns, he can't sit up and both his hands and feet have been tied to his bed. "So, uh…. You didn't take any pictures right?"

The soft laugh grabs his attention and the brunette getting up from the other bed is amused. "You two are definitely related."

"Let's see." Macer pushes in and shines a light into Asher's eyes.

"Knock it off." Camilla drags him away and apologizes as she starts to untie him.

"Uh, so why ..?" Asher sits up and he's glad to find he's fully clothed.

"You got whammied by an Apsaras. Don't feel bad." Macer plops on the foot of the bed. "Your cousin fell under her spell as well."

"Oh… Apsaras?" Asher looks to Bhaze for an explanation and half an hour later they get around to making introductions. "So, Hunters. Awesome. He doesn't introduce me. Must be ashamed of the non-hunters in his family."

"He's smart." Macer points out and frowns as Camilla lays her palm on his forehead.

"I think you hit your head." She turns to Bhaze as her brother smacks her hand away. "He just said you're smart."

Neither of them finds her funny though Asher chuckles. "I like her." He points ignoring the frown Bhaze levels at him.

"She's a smart ass." Macer corrects. "And you should stay away from hunting. Don't feel bad. It's not for everyone."

Asher sighs. "I keep hearing 'No' and all I'm doing is _not_ listening."

"You could die." Camilla interjects. "Before you take up another hunt just think about the people left behind if you're dead."

Bhaze doesn't miss the unvoiced example of his own behavior at the loss of his parents.

"Alright." Bhaze gets up. "I gotta hit the road. Tëmpe found a hunt and I better go take care of it before she decides not to wait for me and takes this on." He grabs his jacket and turns to his cousin. "Stay out of trouble, coz. Your Dad already hates me." His crooked grin is bitter sweet and Camilla slowly moves in to usher him out with a wave for Asher.

"So." Macer walks beside Bhaze. "You feel like sharing?"

"Uh, yeah, I don't swing that way." Bhaze quips. He certainly feels better now that his cousin is out of danger and still breathing.

"I haven't seen Tëmps in months…." Camilla skips her eyes to his.

"You want a ride?" Bhaze stops outside of the building, he turns to Camilla ignoring Macer who walks a little further before waiting for them.

 _'There's that damn question again.'_ Camilla frowns. She knows what he wants to hear, but she's not about to change her mind… maybe she could ride with him a few miles?

**~ J & T ~**

Tëmpeztrà tries to ignore Luke and his attempt at bonding. She doesn't feel like playing nice when he's more interested in treating her like a criminal by keeping her locked in and playing chauffer.

"Bo… did he ever tell you about cousin Daisy?" Luke has a mile to go before they arrive at her school and his niece bolts. "Daisy… she tried being a singer once." He smiles sadly. "Then she tried a career as a reporter." He chuckles remembering his cousin and her sweet naiveté.

Tëmpeztrà strangles the sigh and continues to ignore him. It's not like she didn't pay attention when Bo would reminisce. She knows about Daisy and Uncle Jesse and about Boss Hoss … yeah, Tëmpe has the stories to keep her company when it's really her Father she wishes could tell them again.

**~ J & T ~**

The _General Lee_ is parked outside the high school. He's listened to the voicemail enough to know there's more to this hunt than his sister is likely going to tell him.

 _'She was crying.'_ Bhaze makes the effort to loosen his clenched jaw. He wonders if Luke has been able to hold his tongue where Sloane is concerned though the voicemail is proof otherwise.

He frowns out the windshield. If they hadn't saved Asher… how much worse would it be for Tëmpe at Luke's?

The sharp tap on his window surprises Bhaze and looking up finds Luke standing there, a pair of shades covering his eyes. He lowers the window ready with some apology though for what Bhaze has no idea but it seems to make a difference with Luke.

"Bring her home before dark." Luke taps his hand on the door, his eyes scanning over the _General Lee_ before walking over to his truck.

"Sure." Bhaze mutters. Not one word of 'Hello', no 'How are you?' and it bugs the fuck out of him. There had been a time when Luke had been happy to have him around-

 _'She's got a curfew?_ ' Bhaze doesn't like the sound of it. _'What have you done, sis?'_ he doesn't know if he should be surprised it took this long for Luke to give her one.

The shrill bell is soon followed by kids streaming out of the exits of the buildings. He doesn't have to look for his sister; the _General Lee_ announces his presence.

The windows are open- passenger window and the voice grabs his attention from the text he was sending.

"Does Luke know you're here?" Tëmpeztrà leans in the widow, her bag hanging from her shoulder and the fact she hasn't jumped in only confirms what Bhaze had been thinking.

"What'd you do?" Bhaze questions instead. Her eye roll is enough answer and he sighs. "Tëmpeztrà… get in." he grabs the key in the ignition and the _General Lee_ roars to life.

The silence in the car makes her uncomfortable and she's easily spotted the bruises on his face.

"How'd it go?"

Bhaze shrugs. "Ganked it."

"Good." She sits, bites her lips and it's a sign that he's not going to like what she has to say next. "I messed up." Tëmpeztrà skips her eyes to him and quickly back to the street. She tells him about the witch, sitting with Luke and Aspen and the news and how she 'looked' into it. She never mentions the e-mails with the Hunter who put it together.

Bhaze pulls into the diner's parking lot without a word in reply. He watches as the bandage is slowly revealed as his sister pulls up the sleeve of her jacket.

"So…" Tëmpe fiddles with her fingers. "She'll probably be expecting a return visit." She drops her gaze, she's just made this hunt all the harder for him to take her.

Bhaze sighs. "Come on. I'm hungry." He climbs out and rounds the _General Lee_ as Tëmpe climbs out her side. He spots Macer's truck not far away and looks around. There's so many teenagers around … he hadn't expected it. Bhaze takes his sister by the hand and starts for the door.

He warned them not to mention Asher or the Apsaras or anything in between. And just in case there's a run in with Luke, he warned them not to mention Hunting _at all._

Inside is just as bad. It looks as though every seat is full up. Bhaze looks around, his added height an advantage his sister usually complains about. He spots Macer and tugs his sister through the group of kids loudly enjoying their food.

"Hey," Tëmpe pulls ahead. "Is that…?"

All Bhaze hears is the laugh and then his sister takes a running jump at Macer.

"Whoa!" Macer laughs and adds a twirl. "You've gained a few, spit fire." He gets a kiss on the cheek before setting her down.

"You're such an ass." Camilla states watching her brother and the girl they've loved like a sister for years.

"I see some gray." Tëmpe throws over her shoulder as she jumps on Camilla with a squealed hug.

"You see any gray, Duke?" Macer peers into his reflection of the glass, poking at his dark hair.

Bhaze chuckles and shoves him aside to get into the booth.

Theysit and eat and Bhaze fills them in on the hunt while Tëmpe once again admits to having screwed up. The good thing about the Dusan's is that they don't lecture. Macer has a few words of concern but that's it. Aside from demanding she call him if her brother isn't available.

**~ J & T ~**

It's been three weeks of Luke driving Tëmpeztrà to and from school. Three weeks of silence in the house and Aspen is at the end of her rope. Her niece sits with them at night to watch TV and never makes a sound. It's only an hour before she goes upstairs and Luke sprouts a scowl.

And meals….

Aspen sits in the silence, her eyes skipping from Luke to Tëmpeztrà and back then down to her food and the only sound is the chink of cutlery against plates.

Three weeks of silence is more than enough.

"Luke," Aspen sets her fork down, her eyes meeting his. "Aren't you tired of chauffeuring your niece?"

Tëmpeztrà glances up from her plate at the quiet words. There's a slightly challenging expression on her aunts face. Luke seems a little confused before he frowns.

"Tëmpeztrà might like to enjoy a walk when the weather allows." Her eyes flick across the table to the girl holding her fork poised above her plate. "And it's been nice this week, hasn't it?"

Tëmpeztrà nods.

Aspen smiles and her eyes return to Luke. "Maybe she could work at the gym? Part time and this way she has spending money." She picks up her fork and takes a bite. There's a slight smirk playing about her lips as she chews that Luke finds hard to dislike though he's not pleased he's pretty much being told to stop keeping an eye on his niece.

He takes a bite of his food and chews in silence. If he ignores the …. 'suggestion', well … life at home won't be nice. His eyes flick over to his niece- she's still not eating, more like she's waiting to hear what he's gonna decide and that deepens his scowl. There's so much of her Mother and not just in looks. Sometimes … its unexpected but sometimes he thinks there's a little of Daisy- a look, maybe a smile … just something that's not all Sloane.

_'She's Bo's and that makes her mine too…'_

And there's Bhaze.

Pulling up to the school to find the _General Lee_ already at the curb … for a moment- just a second, sitting in his truck, Luke had 'seen' Bo. The sun shining through the window and his cousin- all blond locks and blue eyes with a smile ever ready for some good old fun… but it wasn't Bo sitting in the car last week.

_'He's a younger version of Bo.'_

But it's harder to accept Bhaze, to allow himself to love the kid that reminds him of Bo when the dumb ass is heading in the same direction.

"You start Monday." Luke stabs his fork in the food and keeps eating, ignoring the pleased smile his wife beams at him.

Tëmpeztrà opens her mouth but the words are stuck in her throat. She doesn't like the idea of spending her afternoons with Luke and a bunch of testosterone jock straps playing with hanging ball or dancing in a ring.

_'But I'm getting my freedom back.'_

So putting up with Luke shouldn't be such a sacrifice though really, working at his gym is just a different way for him to keep his eye on her.

So she doesn't go off on another hunt.

**~ J & T ~**

Jon hasn't had any luck with Tëmpeztrà and the silent treatment. She hasn't wavered once in almost four weeks- the girl is certainly stubborn. But today, yes, _today_ she actually acknowledged his presence in class and then again when he sat under her tree- not that she said a word. Still…

And Jon feels … _better_. Yeah, he's so desperate for friends and he frowns. Being a teen ager again certainly isn't like he remembers and the fact he's forced to play a kid- the restrictions! For crying out loud … everything is always questioned. Where he goes, what he does, when he's _polite!_ Yeah, that really annoys Jon. Who thought it was smart _not_ to teach the next generation the basics of common courtesy, manners, the importance of a man's word… Sometimes, Jon feels like he's from a different planet.

His laugh draws crabby Gregory's attention from the board.

"Anything to share, O'Neill?"

"Nope." Jon shakes his head and relaxes into his seat, who would have thought being on his home planet would make him miss the worlds he's been to out there? He sneaks a glance at the girl in the seat in front his but she never moves or says a word.

Still…

The bell rings and the mob spills into the hallways. The end of the day draws a relieved breath from him. The weekends are his and sometimes too damn lonely.

He weaves his way through teens out to the parking lot and his truck. He has to wait in line just to get out of the parking lot and some of the kids shouldn't be allowed a drivers license. Seriously, the kid in the blue VW is an accident just waiting to happen- _texting_? It's almost as bad as women putting on their make-up while trying to stay on the road.

So his bad mood has a name.

_'Tëmpeztrà.'_

He's giving the girl too much importance. He knows it and while he'll bitch about it in silence … well, he doesn't have to admit it out loud.

A block ahead he spots the object of his inner bitchiness. And it's not a question of whether he keeps driving because he pulls up alongside her and rolls his window down.

"No ride today?"

Tëmpeztrà keeps walking, eyes straight ahead. "Nope."

Jon blinks.

_'She spoke to me?'_

"I'll take you home." Jon pulls over and parks.

"Mom said never to accept rides." Tëmpeztrà pauses to look at him. She's not about to admit her reaction was unwarranted- not to that extent. She starts walking again. It wasn't fair- being mad at Jon because she was caught ditching school and she ended up hurt, blowing the hunt and then fighting with Luke…

It was never about Jon and its not like she can tell him the truth.

Jon gets out of his truck, leaves it parked and quickly catches up with her. They walk in silence – this time it's not that awkward, angry silence from the weeks past. This feels normal. It feels like two friends just walking and he's got a moment of melancholy, missing those friends that belong to Jack.

Jon can't help thinking this is a bit strange, how 'easy' it feels with her-

Tëmpeztrà stops and Jon notices they've made it to the Duke home.

"See you in the morning." Tëmpe turns into the yard and heads up the steps and into the house while Jon watches.

_'Huh, guess she's not mad at me anymore.'_

He shakes his head and turns back the way they'd walked. "Girls."

 

**~ J & T ~**

Luke spots the tall boy with his niece walking into his gym. He's well built, tall, blond and blue eyed but that's where the similarity to his cousin ends. This kid is different. He's polite, quiet … and Luke doesn't like him hanging around his niece so much but there's nothing he can complain about when the kid hasn't done anything to get banned from the Duke house.

Things have only just started getting … 'better' with his niece – they aren't fighting anymore, so that's a win.

"Who's the new guy?"

Luke drags his eyes away from Jon and motions for his 'golden boy' to start once again. "Focus, Mack."

Jon and Tëmpeztrà make their way over to the ring where Luke is imparting his knowledge on the 'God of the gym'.

 _'Gag me.'_ She refrains from rolling her eyes at the jerk who doesn't know the meaning of personal space let alone where the line between flirting and harassment is. Though she's never given him a sign to think she'd ever flirt with him. Just the opposite but so far he's kept his distance.

"You don't want to join here." She tries again to dissuade Jon but he's looking all sorts of interested.

_'What's with guys and dumbbells?'_

"I could do with a work out." Jon scans the gym again – it's not the SGC by any means but this is familiar territory for him. "What, don't want me to see you in your janitors cover all?" he smirks and earns and light smack on his arm.

"More like I'd rather not watch you get ground into the mat every day." She tugs him towards the office and the forms Luke has all the new-non members fill out. "I have to clean those too, you know."

 

**~ J & T ~**

Tëmpe hates good-byes. She would much rather Bhaze stuck around-better yet, to take her with him. A weekend here and there isn't fair or putting up with Luke's bitching when ever his nephew drops in.

"Why are you looking for hunts?" Bhaze eyes her and it's uncomfortable. Because she's not about to admit to him she was looking for trouble without any concern of what her loss would do to him.

Bhaze tugs on her lose hair. "Girls aren't meant to be covered in scars, Tëmpe." They both stare at the taped bandage on her arm and she tugs the sleeve over the piece sticking out. Bhaze pulls her close, his arms holding her tight. "No hunting, Tëmps. Promise?"

Tëmpeztrà knows that's all her brother wants.

"Salt and burn." She whispers. "Nothing else, Bhaze. I promise." That's all he's going to get and they both know it.

"Start thinking college, Tëms." Bhaze lays his hand over her mouth to stop the protests. "Don't." he warns in a tired voice. "Ok, just… think about what Mom told us." He drops his hand and tilts her chin up so they can look each other in the eye, so he knows she's listening. "Hunting doesn't have to be our life too. Just think about it, Tëmpeztrà."

He's got Asher's voice in his ear, telling him he's an idiot for ignoring college when they both knows he's no fool. And what about Camilla? Off doing her GI Jane thing instead of sticking with him … to hunt? Because that's all he can offer the girl he loves. But it's not all she wants.

"I want to come home, Bhaze." Her eyes shimmer with tears.

Bhaze knows. He wishes it was like before; Bo and Sloane alive, the four of them together… when their lives made sense.

"I know, Tëmpe. I know."

 

**~ J & T ~**

There's an argument brewing again. Aspen bites down the frustration rising because they've only made it two weeks. "Now what?"

Luke paces. "I don't understand why she's being difficult." He jabs a finger at Tëmpeztrà standing next to the couch with her arms across her chest.

"I'm not going." Tëmpeztrà states with a mulish tilt of her chin.

"It's a weekend, Tëmpeztrà!" Luke snaps. "You are not staying here alone." He turns to Aspen with a warning. "She is not staying in this house alone over the weekend."

"Ok, well…" Aspen tries again to play the mediator but this is past ridiculous. "Then… I can stay. I'll stay home and you-."

"What?" Luke glares at his wife. This isn't a last minute trip they've thrown together. It's for work, yes, but Luke also hoped it would serve to mend his relationship with Tëmpeztrà. "You are not staying home because our 'little princess' doesn't feel like a road trip!"

Tëmpe sucks in a breath. 'Little princess' … that's what Luke used to call her… before … when she'd been a kid riding on his shoulders and he'd pretended not to know about hunters. There's a part of her that feels torn, like her insides have been yanked out of her body and she's pretending not to feel it. There's nothing that's ever going to stop them from fighting about hunting, not when she's not willing to give up those ties.

"Man… are you thick." Tëmpeztrà snaps at her uncle. It grabs their attention and Aspen has that 'Oh krap' look. "All you see is the jock straps' so called 'talent'." She's sarcastic enough they can't ignore it. "You spend all your energy, your time and experience molding him for the ring- why can't you see past it, Luke?" she's pissed off. Because he's siding with the jerk that went too far the second day she was at Luke's gym and jock strap found her alone. "Why don't you see the asshole that cornered me in the lockers and tried to have some 'fun' while you were in your office." She ignores Aspen's shocked gasp and waits for Luke… He doesn't say anything. Not a word of denial or concern, either way... "You're a piece of work." Tëmpeztrà storms up to her room and slams the door. She never needed Luke to protect her. She's capable of inflicting pain and jock strap felt some of the anger Tëmpeztrà has been forced to restrain. But the tears burning her eyes are for the loss. It's not just Sloane and Bo that are gone anymore.

_'I lost Uncle Luke too.'_

"Luke?" Aspen wants some sort of answer. He knows that but does he believe his niece? Or is this her way of getting out of the enforced confinement of a few hours on the road …?

But it's not like he hasn't noticed the attitude, the behavior … Luke just chalked it up to Mack's competitiveness.

"We're all going." And Luke is going to get the truth because the girl locked up in her room hadn't been the type of kid to cry wolf without reason.

And Luke doesn't think that's changed, but….

 

**~ J & T ~**

Jon spots her sitting alone and doesn't hesitate to drop down beside her. Tëmpe looks up at Jon, her expression curious but he doesn't even say 'Hello'. She shrugs and holds up her baggie of sliced apples. He takes one and they sit quietly eating, her nose in a book and Jon's eyes wander over the crowd of teens. He's starting to get used to the nonsense they're all capable of though he still gets that 'what the hell is wrong with them?' feeling. It's easier for Jon with all the noise. He hasn't been back to see the shrink- he never bothered with the quacks as Jack but then there had been Daniel to talk to. Or just sit and have a beer….

Jon catches a glimpse of her book and flicks the cover. "Doing homework before class, Tëmps?"

"Smart thing to do when Gregory likes to pick on me." Tëmpe turns the page, never looking up. She's trying not to think of the upcoming trip this weekend and the fact that Luke hasn't said a word to her all week. Not that he hasn't tried because Tëmpeztrà hasn't given him the time to get whatever platitudes he wants to pass off as concern for her.

"You're gonna give the guy an aneurism."

"Hey," her tone becomes cheerful. She hopes he's not able to pick up on the underlying anger because Tëmpeztrà is wishing –just a little bit- its Luke in that hospital. "No homework while he's in the hospital dying." She gives him a thumbs up accompanied by a flash of a fake smile and continues reading but the words are all an echo of the fight and what Luke _didn't_ say...

Jon wonders if she's not a little serious. "Anyone tell you, you're mean?"

"All the time but never as nice as you've put it." Tëmpeztrà gives him a real smile, she thinks of Macer and Camilla- it was good to see them and already Cam's sent the first post card. Another choice and Tëmpe hates to think of the loss her brother is going through for the girl he's been in love with – since forever. Tëmpe closes her book as the bell rings. "Come on. Time to face the dragon."

It's just habit, grabbing her bag along with his own and carrying it on their walk to class. Tëmpe always notices but stays quiet. It's nice and she likes the easy laid back manner Jon has.

In class, Gregory has a surprise. He wants them to pair up and write a paper on their book. Most of the class groans and while Tëmpe can agree she wisely keeps silent. It doesn't due to put herself in the dragon's path when it's not looking for her.

"You finish reading yours?" Tëmpe only slightly turns to address Jon in the seat behind hers.

"Sure."

"Nerd…" they both smile. "So, wanna pair up?"

"Why not?" Jon shrugs. "You can pull your weight."

"Keep talking, O'Neill." Tëmpe teases and it's easy to do with Jon.

 

**~ J & T ~**

Bhaze is pissed off. What the hell is Luke thinking?

His sister is supposed to be safe in **_Willow Fells_** and though the drive to **_Akadya_** is only a few hours from where he is there's no reason to drop his hunt and go after them. Luke is supposed to be watching out for her.

Bhaze calls Tëmpe because he wants her out of the hotel and damn what Luke wants. He's not about to leave his sister within arms length of that dumb ass and the boxer. And it looks like Tëmpeztrà is going to get her wish.

But she's not answering- hasn't answered at all and as Bhaze pulls into the hotel parking lot he spots Luke's truck. He parks and gets out intent on taking his sister.

He spots Luke…hauling a bloody nosed guy with a shaved head and swarthy skin.

"You can walk your ass back to **_Willow Fells_**." Luke shoves him. "And I don't want to see you back in my gym again."

Mack spits, blood peppering his mouth as he picks himself up and Luke is ready. "Over that piece of ass? You're gonna-."

Luke's fist connects with a loud thwack even Bhaze can hear.

"Asshole." Luke winces, his fist throbbing as he walks back to his room.

Bhaze stand there, undecided as to what his next move is because Luke just defended Tëmpeztrà's … 'honor'.

The low groan from the knocked out asshole draws Bhaze attention and he's got a pretty good idea of what his move is going to be. He's across the parking lot and leaning down to help the guy up to his feet. "You feeling alright, man?" Bhaze could care less but the guy manages to get to his feet and stumbles along as he's led towards the pool area.

 _'Too bad it's not winter.'_ Bhaze frowns.

 

**~ J & T ~**

Luke pulls up to the house and finds Bhaze sitting on the front porch and the _General Lee_ in the drive. Tëmpeztrà is quick to get out of the truck. She runs up the front steps and jumps on Bhaze. She whispers in his ear she knows it was him and laughs.

Bhaze plays dumb but there's a smirk flitting about his mouth and jock strap had certainly looked ridiculous in the buff, cuffed to the ladder and his clothes floating about the pool.

Luke doesn't even mention it, but he's got his doubts… this time he doesn't put up a fuss when Aspen invites Bhaze to stay for dinner.

 

**~ J & T ~**

Jon spots the _General Lee_ in the school parking lot. It's not the first time and the question he doesn't want to think keeps circling his brain. It really shouldn't matter to him. Boyfriend or not, Tëmpeztrà is just a friend. She's a teenage girl and anything else is …

_'Nope. Not happening.'_

He doesn't bring it up at all- he's got no reason to. So Jon sits the rest of the day in silence, avoiding the curious glances from the girl his hormones seem to react to in ways he'd almost forgotten about.

"Hey," Tëmpeztrà nudges his side, the bright pink paper in her hand waving in front of him. "You see this? It's like they're puking all over the place."

"What is it?" Jon takes the paper and regrets it's as soon as the words are legible.

"School dance." Tëmpe smirks. "Got your attention, now, don't I?" she skips around him, bouncing with excessive energy and that's not like her.

Jon stops in the middle of the hall and stares at her. "What's up with you?"

"Huh?" Tëmpe stops, momentarily confused and then she's trying to cover the little nervous shrug of her shoulders by turning around and walking again. "So, who's taking you? You've been asked already, haven't you?" she glances at him over her shoulder and he's still staring at her, two paces behind. "Quit staring. That's creepy." She orders with a slight scowl.

Jon feels better, it's more like her usual expression and then her question registers. "Who- no. I don't… No." he shakes his head and crumples the pink flyer tossing into the trash can they pass on their way outside.

"Whoa." Tëmpeztrà stops, her hand splayed flat on his stomach. "What's the deal Johnny-Boy?"

"Quit calling me that." Jon scowls. He walks around her trying to ignore when she jumps in his way again and starts walking backwards. That annoys him and he makes a grab for arm. "You're gonna fall on your ass, Duke."

"Aww," Tëmpe smirks, avoiding his second attempt to grab her. "You care?"

"Damn it-." Jon grabs for her again.

Tëmpe laughs and of course, just as he warned, she trips and starts falling. Her hand smacks his and Jon hauls her towards him.

"Ooph!" Tëmpeztrà laughs, her cheeks burning and she knows there's a bright flush staining her face but she's not about to show him she's embarrassed. "Hey," she shoves him back a pace and looks up. "Save the manhandling for your date."

"I don't have a date." Jon glares.

"What? How come? Have you seen you?" Tëmpe waves her hand over him, her eyes scanning his tall frame and a slow smirk plays about her lips. "Tall, blond, blue eyes- you're hot. Johnny-Boy, did you say no?" she grins and points. "Dude, you are so blushing."

"Who are you taking?" Jon leans towards her, daring and the laughter dies out.

"Uh, hey we're talking about you-."

"Ask anyone yet, Duke?" Jon starts to smile. "You gonna wear a dress-."

"Oh, now them's fighting words Johnny-Boy." Tëmpe cuts in with a fist waving in his face. It doesn't get him off the subject and the short ride is spent fielding questions and digs.

It's normal.

They both feel good and it's so easy to just chill.

Jon pulls up to the Duke house. "Alright. I …" Jon shrugs, wincing at the admission. "Was asked. Said no. What's your story?"

"You said no." Tëmpe sits there looking at him, wondering why the hell it matters.

"You're evading." Jon sighs.

He's right. Tëmpeztrà just doesn't know why it feels like it matters. "Jonathan O'Neill, will you go to the Saidy Hawkins dance with me?"

 _'Oh shit.'_ Tëmpeztrà locks her jaw before it falls open. _'What the hell? Why'd I say that?'_

"Huh." This certainly isn't what Jon expected. "That depends…" Jon watches her intently, blue eyes trying to figure out… he's not exactly sure what. "Are we wearing matching outfits?"

Tëmpeztrà blinks. _'What the fuck…'_ "Matching?" she smiles. "Is that why you said no?"

 

**~ J & T ~**


	5. How It Changes

**~** **J & T ~**

Luke arrives to muffins baking in the oven- or maybe they're done… He goes right for the kitchen and the platter is on the counter-

“What’s he doing here?”

“Luke!” Aspen spins around, surprised to find him glowering out the door to where the kids are going over their homework. “Are you on that again?” she sighs and picks up a smaller plate loaded with muffins. “He’s a nice boy, Luke. Your son never had anything negative to say about him…” she tilts her head, brow furrowed. “Actually, I don’t think Asher knew too much-.”

“See?” Luke pounces. “Right there. Who are his parents? We’ve never met them-.”

“That would be difficult considering they're dead.” Aspen snaps in a hushed whisper and a wary glance over her shoulder towards the back porch. She gives Luke a warning glare before heading out to the kids with the muffins.

“So who’s taking care of him now?” Luke wonders as he sits down and takes a muffin from the platter conveniently within his reach. He notices the annoyed expression that quickly flits across Tëmpe’s face.

 _‘I wish they'd stop butting in so much.’_ Tëmpe catches Luke’s eye and masks her annoyance with Aspen’s intrusions. It’s been a nice change-peaceful, and for the time being she's willing to bide her time until summer.

Because summer is going to be spent roaming the back roads in the **_General Lee_** with her brother. Hunting.

“…carrot.”Aspen smiles. “I’ll let you two study.” She walks into the house and Tëmpe catches the not so nice way her aunt grabs Luke's arm and removes him from the kitchen.

“Your place tomorrow.” Tëmpeztrà scowls down at her notes. Ever since the stupid dance Luke's been eyeing Jon like he's there to take something of his.

“Mine?” Jon almost chokes on the muffin.

“Uh, yeah.” She eyes him like he's from another planet and the thought almost has Jon laughing. “Aren't you sick of this?” Tëmpe waves her hand towards the house and the now empty kitchen. “Cus I'm so over it. Besides, we’ll finish faster without them hovering.” She shakes her head and grabs the outline to their paper from his side. “Seriously, it’s creepy.” She mutters.

Jon says nothing but there's going to be questions. It’s inevitable that Tëmpeztrà won’t notice the lack of adult supervision. She's going to question why he lives alone … or …. Jon could just lie. Yep, that’s it.

_‘I can lie.’_

He’s done it as Jack.

That should make ‘Jon’ all the more believable.

**J & T ~**

The door opens rather quickly. She hadn’t expected Jon to get the door himself, he steps aside and allows her into his home. Tëmpe pauses in the hall taking note of where she is and what’s around her. It’s an old habit but a very good one considering what she knows about the world they’re living in. The house is rather … bland. It doesn’t exactly feel lived in which is ridiculous since it’s where Jon lives and yet… there’s a decided lack of pictures. Nothing in the hallway as Jon leads her towards the living room. It’s sparse as well; just a couch in a dark gray and two armchairs. The coffee table looks a bit worn- dark wood with scuffs along the edges and legs. The rug placed in the center of the room adds some color with its woven pattern in dark green, brown, indigo and she thinks the sorta pinkish lines had once been a deep purple. Tëmpe likes it. The fireplace looks used though there’s no fire blazing at the moment and the house is warm enough not to need one. Spring is nice in **_Willow Fells_**.

“So…” Tëmpeztrà drops her book bag next to the coffee table and turns to Jon. “Parents out?”

The question has Jon wishing he could do without being a teenager again and refrains from the tired sigh he feels coming on. “I’m emancipated.” It’s true enough without telling her the truth. Not that he’s allowed to tell anyone…

“Huh.” Tëmpe’s brow furrows slightly, head at an angle as she studies Jon once again; reassessing. She hadn't pictured that; a teenage boy living alone- no parents to ‘lay down the law’ and that’s an annoying reminder of Luke.

Jon is surprised. “Huh?” it’s not the response he was expecting. Hell, any other teenager would be jumping at the chance to turn his home into a party house.

Tëmpe shrugs with the hint of a smile on her dusky lips. She's _not_ going to think of Luke and his stupid rules. “It’s not my business. I figure if you want to talk about it you will. ‘Till then,” she kneels by the coffee table and digs out the books she carried over. “We’ve got a tedious paper to work on.”

Jon grabs the notebook from the couch and sits with her. “I figured you'd be curious.” He almost wants to smack himself for giving that opening. He's not even sure what the hell is going on with the functions of his brain-to-mouth coordination because he hadn't meant to say anything else. The less the better, as a matter of fact.

“I am.” Tëmpe assures. “It’s difficult not to notice the lack of pictures- family or friends...?” she gives a little pause which Jon doesn’t fill. “The living room looks kinda bare so there’s definitely no female influence here. But it’s clean… so either, housekeeper?” she glances over at Jon who seems a bit confused and that amuses her. “No… so you're the exception to the dirty boy rule.”

“Dirty boy rule?” Jon echoes with a slight frown. He doesn’t like the sound of that.

“Yeah,” Tëmpe utters a soft laugh, her expression giving a little of her thoughts and Jon can see she’s a little bit saddened by what they are. “Mom said boys couldn’t clean if their life depended on it. My brother’s a pig.”

But cleaning weapons? That’s the one area of their life where Bhaze is a neat freak.

Tëmpeztrà shrugs and looks over at Jon. “Clean house and you're all alone. Makes you the exception. Though I’d have to check the kitchen and the bathroom to be sure.” She teases.

“It’s not difficult to keep the place clean when it’s just me.” Jon frowns down at his notebook. And it’s a habit of military life that he hasn’t given up or forgotten.

This isn't what he thought it would be. The only discomfort Jon feels is due to how _not_ uncomfortable he feels with Tëmpe being in his house.

“Then again,” Tëmpe muses out loud. “You could be in witness protection.”

“What?” Jon turns rather sharply. Even if it is a joke it’s still close to the truth and for a second he wonders if maybe Tëmpeztrà isn’t what she seems; a teenage girl.

“Well, it would make for a better paper.” Tëmpe’s only half kidding. She’d still rather be working on the kraptastic paper that grumpy teacher gave them than avoiding Luke who’s been threatening to take her with him to the gym. Again. He figures it’s the one place he can keep an eye on her that Tëmpe won’t sneak out to hunt.

There’s been some weird articles in the paper, missing people found who then end up dead along with some other family members or who ever happens to be in the house with them. The latest one is her target and she’ll get to it just as soon as their paper is started. The library isn’t far from Jon’s house anyway and Luke won’t think that out of the ordinary. She can always say she was picking up some research for the paper.

Tëmpeztrà promised Bhaze it would only be salt and burns but it’s not looking to be that easy. She has the bare bones of her hunt; a list of possible fugly’s to hunt down. And a literature paper due at the end of the week she's seriously thinking of leaving to Jon.

**J & T ~**

Jon takes a seat, silent as always and waits for the head-shrinker to start the appointment. He did wonder if Daniel would show up but its not like the SGC gives time off on a regular basis. The geek could be off-world…

“How are you adjusting, Jon?” Dr. Greenleah moves away from her desk to take the seat across from him. She places the same black rimmed glasses on her face, red hair pulled back into a twist.

Jon shrugs.

She scribbles a note on her pad and waits.

The little clock on the book shelve ticks softly as its arms move steadily towards the half hour. He's almost halfway through-

“It’s important we establish some communication here, Jon.” Dr. Greenleah sets the pad aside and rests her hands in her lap, brown eyes studying him.

“Sure,” he nods because it seems he's required to make some sort of response. “You betcha.”

Dr. Greenleah offers a slightly annoyed sigh and grimace of a smile. “I thought you might say that.”

Jon turns to the door opening- not the one he or all the ‘patients’ come through. He straightens in his seat when a familiar blond head peeks through.

“Carter?”

Her blue eyes twinkle and she's smiling. “Hello, Jon.”

**J & T ~**

It’s a ghoul.

Tëmpeztrà runs past the broken fence trying to keep ahead of the one on her ass. The one thing her brother asked her not to do…

_‘I should’ve called Bhaze.’_

Instead, Tëmpeztrà followed the breadcrumbs left for her to find and landed on the proverbial silver platter.

_‘Like a friggin idiot!’_

She wonders how long it’ll take the ghoul to get to the Dukes. Will Luke figure it out? Or is that another family found dead some reporter will put in the paper?

The street isn't as busy as Tëmpe would like- as in empty- but the ghoul behind her wants her dead in a bad way. She killed its mate, partner, whatever. So it’s not going to stop chasing her until it has her. Tëmpe’s counting on it. She slows down just enough it starts gaining on her faster. There's a flash of lights- the car that doesn’t know it’s about to have an accident. The only obstacle is the stone fence decorating the park perimeter. She jumps it, sprinting across the street with a glance over her shoulder. The ghoul is right there, on her ass. It registers the smirk on her face ignoring the lights flashing over them both. The horn and screeching tires draw its attention seconds before the impact.

Tëmpeztrà skids to a stop on the sidewalk. The ghoul spins, banging on the hood of the beamer, rolling over the roof and slapping on the pavement. The driver speeds up and screeches around the corner.

“Frickin yuppie.” Tëmpeztrà scowls after it. Still, no witnesses make it easier to clean up.

The ghoul twitches, filmy eyes staring up at her from the mess its face has become. She stops and with a grimace shifts her foot.

“Gross, yeah but no one else is here to do it.” Tëmpe stomps her foot on its head and tries not to think about what's on her boot. “Ugh,” she stomps down again slipping on the mush left behind. “I'm so over the gross part of this job.” She's got a small bottle of lighter fluid in her pocket which she squirts. She can't stay too long and the flaming pyre draws people from their own little worlds as she runs down the street. The last thing she needs is to get spotted by someone who will recognize her and worse still, go and tell Luke.

 _‘Damn, that’s the last thing I need before the summer.’_ Because she's got plans that don’t include staying in **_Willow Fells_**.

**J & T ~**

He's not sure why he's doing it. Jon shifts in his seat yet again and by the twitch of her shoulders he can tell Tëmpeztrà is getting annoyed.

He's still thinking about it though. Its Carter's fault.

That damn line of communication Dr. Greenleah is insistent on establishing with him… so she brings in Carter. But it was nice to see her, to see a familiar face, an old friend…

_Prom._

Its that time of the year and he's committed himself to going. A moment of weakness. Because he was feeling lonely and she cajoled him into it and he allowed it. But that’s alright, this doesn’t have to be some uncomfortable ordeal like it had been that first time around. He’ll take a friend and that means he better quit annoying the girl in the seat in front of his if he wants a ‘yes’ to the question he's dreading having to ask one more time.

When the bell rings he gives an inward sigh of relief. He can go home-

“What bug crawled up your butt, O'Neill?” Tëmpe turns in her seat reaching for her bag resting on the floor.

“No bug.” His reply is short and leaning down her grabs her bag along with his books and stands. A force of habit by now only this time Tëmpeztrà is right behind him yanking on the strap of her bag.

“I'm a big girl.” She takes it from him and moves in front trying not to run over the crowd of teenagers making their way out of the class room.

Jon sighs. _‘I'm already screwing this up.’_

But all he has to do is get her to his truck, he doesn’t have to say the words himself when its all been taken care of.

“Tëmpeztrà.” He calls after her when she heads out the front instead of towards the parking lot. “Tëmpe!” his longer stride quickly overtakes her shorter one but she's still ignoring him. “Hey, the parking lot is the other way.”

“Good to know.” Tëmpe keeps walking.

“So is my truck.” Jon adds.

“Great, you haven’t misplaced it then.” This time she looks at him, a brief smile he knows is fake and she keeps on walking.

“You're mad at me.” Jon sighs closing his eyes.

“Nope,” Tëmpe shakes her head. “I enjoy having a boy grab my bag and carry it for me.”

“I carry your books all the time.” Jon frowns.

“You sure do. So go have your moment, Johnny-boy and when you get over the ‘tude I won’t mind having you carry my books expecting me to walk behind you like a good obedient girl.” She scowls at him and really it’s just the fact he cut in front of her that annoys her half as much as him being annoyed over whatever and being snippy with her. Tëmpe doesn’t see where she could be the cause of his attitude or why she’d make herself put up with it.

“So- prom?” Jon could kick himself. Tëmpeztrà stops, turns to look at him and opens her mouth then closes it without saying a word.

“I’ll be right back.” Jon turns on his heel and hurries off. _‘What the hell was that?’_ he wonders.

Tëmpeztrà stands there confused. “What?” she looks towards where he walked off and shakes her head. “What?” because … well, huh? “Stupid boys.” She mutters and starts walking again. She only goes a block before Jon pulls up alongside her.

“Wait.” Jon parks and jumps out, quickly catching up to her but then he hadn't expected her to stop. “I can drop you off at home, Tëmpe.”

“I think I’ll walk today.” Tëmpe glances at him and she's got a little frown on face like she doesn’t quite get what’s going on.

“So… I was trying to ask you to prom.” Jon gently grabs her arm and stops her. The white cardboard box in his hand held towards her sort of like a peace offering now.

“I don’t get it.” Tëmpe's eyes skip from the box in his hand back to his face.

Jon frowns, his eyes going to the box he's still holding. “It’s a box.”

“I know that- are you being a smart ass right now?” Tëmpe demands crossing her arms.

“No.” Jon shakes his head, he's screwing up and he knows it. “Get in the truck. I’ll take you home.”

He takes her arm and walks her to his truck. Tëmpe lets him, doesn’t say a word the entire ride to the Dukes house.

“What’s in the box?” she asked when they’ve been sitting in silence in front of the house.

Jon feels kinda ridiculous now but he hands it over noticing from the corner of his eye how she hesitates before opening it.

“Jon…” Tëmpe scans through the note and grabs the DVD instead. She laughs. “Seriously.” But the note says she has options. “Alright. Yes. And if it sucks as bad as I think it can we’re going to your house and watching this. And eating Chinese.” She adds.

“You got a deal.” Jon grins and really, it didn’t have to be so hard.

**J & T ~**

Macer has a fresh beer in hand, enjoying the high of getting the job done. One more monster down and God only knows how many more to go.

“I’d tell you to tag along but my uncle…” Bhaze shakes his head, frowning.

“Don’t worry about it.” Macer shrugs. He already knows about the fight and he really can’t blame the family for worrying because they a have right to be concerned. “Take her my present and do whatever you can to keep her in suburbia hell.” He shrugs at Bhaze's scowl. “Those were her words, Duke.”

“She hasn’t called you for help, has she?” Bhaze doubts Macer would lie for Tëmpe but there's always that possibility.

“Tëmpe's not dumb.” Macer frowns. “If she calls me for help I'm getting my ass to where ever she needs me _and_ calling you. You think she doesn’t know that? Or maybe you thought I’d be dumb enough to cover for her?”

“Thought might have crossed my mind.” Bhaze shrugs.

“Oh, well alright then.” Macer chuckles. “Dumb ass.”

**J & T ~**

“Fishing.”

Tëmpeztrà stops and looks back at Luke. He's got this expression, like he’s not buying it and for once Tëmpe’s telling the truth. She faces him. “Unless fish aren't ok to ‘hunt’.”

“It’s fine.” Aspen waves her off, her smile is forced, more so when Tëmpe ignores her.

“Am I breaking your rule, Luke?” Tëmpeztrà doesn’t call him uncle anymore, she hasn’t for a while now and it bugs him. “Do I finally get kicked out-.”

“Tëmpeztrà.” Aspen walks forward, hands on Tëmpe’s shoulders and her eyes stern. “Have fun at the lake.” She forcibly turns the teen and walks her to the front door where Jon is patiently waiting. “No too late, kids.”

Jon nods, offers a polite smile and hurries down the front steps to catch Tëmpe already half out the front gate. Aspen watches Jon hold open the door for Tëmpe and close it once she's in his truck. She smiles and waves all the while relieved to have avoided the confrontation Tëmpeztrà and Luke seem to want.

“Luke!” Aspen yells once the truck is out of sight. She heads back into the house and she's had enough because the tension in the house is unbearable.

Jon isn't immune to it either. He pulls away from the curb. The scowl on Tëmpe’s face doesn’t fade and he's waiting to ask what's wrong-

“Can we keep driving?” Tëmpeztrà really wants to even though she knows it’s not time yet.

“I was kinda set on fishing…” Jon sighs, eyes skipping over to her for a second. “Guess so.” He agrees wondering if she’ll really take him up on it. “You got somewhere in mind…? Or do we drive into the sunset…” Jon trails off hearing Tëmpeztrà’s unwilling chuckle.

“ _Drive_ into the sunset?”

Jon shrugs. “We’re not on a horse.” So it figures they wouldn’t be _riding_ into the sunset.

Tëmpeztrà scoots closer so she's sitting in the center of the bench seat and rests her head on his shoulder.

Jon’s smiling like a fool and doesn’t care. He's made her laugh without trying and whatever the family had been arguing about …

It’s a nice day; sunny and bright, too early for fighting …

“My Dad took us fishing…Once.” Tëmpe whispers. She closes her eyes on the sting of tears because she's not about to cry on Jon's shoulder. The thing is, she misses what's gone. She misses Bo and Sloane and their family time. It’s not fair to keep them apart, because emails and the occasional text conversations aren't the same as talking to her brother daily. She's 16 and it feels as if she's lost them all, her whole family…

Jon takes her hand in his. He doesn’t say anything, doesn’t have to because there's nothing that will take away what Tëmpeztrà is feeling.

**J & T ~**

“Are you sure?” Asher takes another look around his living room. He stops at the cake, grimacing at all the pink frosting that is making his teeth ache and ….

“Pink?” Bhaze stops in the door, blue eyes on the cake Asher’s holding while Aspen straightens out the table cloth.

“Yes, pink.” She sighs tiredly. “She's a girl-.” Aspen narrows her eyes on Asher and he tries – really – to stop snickering because Tëmpe’s -.

“Not that kind of girl.” Bhaze steps in picking out the fresh flowers – more pink roses and the streamers- “Oh…” Bhaze can't believe his aunt because it’s like someone puked up pink all over the dining room.

“I want this to be nice.” Aspen looks at both boys. “With everything last year…” because Tëmpeztrà didn’t get a Sweet 16. There was the funeral and dealing with the lawyer and the estate Bo and Sloane left behind, the fire that burned their home to the ground and the guardianship, the move and a new school…

Bhaze looks around again; it’s way too pink, he knows that and Aspen is trying. She's put forth the effort and Bhaze is going to have to make sure his sister appreciates it.  

 _‘Oh she's gonna hurt me…’_ He sighs, figures he can keep his sister from ruining the surprise their aunt has gone to a lot of trouble to set up. She’ll be too preoccupied with his presence to even notice the pink.

“Mom…” Asher just shrugs once he sees the worried frown on her face. “Anymore pink?” because he can see a bare spot where some decoration can blast its pinkness at them and Aspen responds with a back handed smack at her teasing son. “And don’t drop the cake.” She warns.

“You shouldn’t beat me while I'm holding it!”

**J & T ~**

“I haven’t been fishing since…” Tëmpe can't remember when that was. She thinks she must have been too young to remember any of the details but she knows it had to have been a good trip. They'd been happy…

“So, then I’ll probably have to bait your hook.” Jon starts rowing them out to the lake.

“I'm not that girly, Jon.” Tëmpe nudges him with the toe of her converse and gets a smile. She wonders if maybe Jon would rather she was more of a girl….. She likes Jon more than she wanted to but it’s just so easy. Maybe it’s all just her-this feeling- because _if_ he did like her then he’d be asking her about the little scene he caught back at Luke's house. And it’s not the first time either; he's caught her hiding tears as well. He's even seen the bruises- just the two Hunts this year and one of them a couple of ghouls she mistook for something else. She’d roll her eyes at her own carelessness but Jon's right there.

_‘Not that he'd ask why.’_

Jon notices the scowl back on her face and wonders yet again what the hell’s going on in her head.

_‘Just wait. Get to the middle of the lake where she can't run off.’_

Jon isn't giving her a chance to dodge his questions anymore but it’s not like he's been straight with the questions she asks him either. He spares her another glance wondering – because she’s good at deflecting – too damn good for a 16 year old girl and Jon is certain she's not like the others.

**J & T ~**

Asher covers another laugh and hurries out of the kitchen with the tray of pink frosted cupcakes his Mom baked and spots Bhaze setting down the huge jar filled with pink lemonade Aspen only brings out for special occasions and parties. It’s big, made of crystal and heavy enough empty.

“You break that and Mom’s gonna kill you.” Asher warns.

“Thing weighs a ton.” Bhaze grunts past clenched teeth as he carefully sets it on the table and slowly steps away.

“It sits on this.” Luke holds up a wide metal stand and nods for Bhaze to pick it up again. Asher chuckles noting the pained expression on his cousins face.

“Tëmpe’s gonna flip.” Asher grins eyeing the dining room. “Especially seeing you here. Where's the **_General Lee_**?” because she’d certainly know and that would blow their surprise.

“Garage.” Bhaze grunts and sets the crystal jug down, moving away quickly while Luke is the only one still touching the thing.

“You're smarter than I thought, coz.” Asher smirks.

“Yeah, well.” Bhaze blows a breath that does nothing to get the blond strands out of his eyes. “She won’t be expecting her birthday this early.” He looks around at all the pink and just hopes his sister will look past it and notice the effort Aspen and Luke put in. He’s hoping Tëmpeztrà will look past his refusal and stop being pissed at Luke for being stuck the entire summer in suburbia while he's out Hunting.

_‘I promised.’_

As long as Bhaze kept her out of the Hunting Luke wouldn’t bitch about it so much. He’d keep his niece safe and Bhaze is going to do his best to keep that promise so Tëmpeztrà has a real chance at normal, like their parents wanted.

**J & T ~**

It’s nice, especially under the trees canopied over the lake and Tëmpe sits quietly, pole in hand. Jon stares, his thoughts only of her and the questions he has but doesn’t ask because he likes this quiet.

“ _Johnny be good_ …” Tëmpeztrà glances over at him smiling at the wince on his face for the sort of nickname she’s picked out for him. “You got something to say O'Neill. Just spit it out already.” She turns back to watching the stillness of the water and listens to him shift.

“Those… bruises-.” Jon starts only to get a sigh in response.

“Told ya-.”

“You didn’t fall.” Jon snaps. “You didn’t bump a wall or door, Tëmpeztrà.” His tone is serious; the expression on his face as she glances at him is full of concern.

The boat tilts as she turns to face him. She's not expecting the concern over her well being from a boy just a year older than her. Granted, Jon is far from the hormonal teenage boys she’s used to dealing with but he's still only a teenager… This, it flusters her.

“You…if you're in trouble… I can help.” Jon hopes she believes him because all Tëmpeztrà sees is a 17year old boy, the same as everyone else. And Jon is so much more than he can tell her.

“Help?” Tëmpe echoes. “You know, I think the sun fried my brain, Jon. So… so tell me what you mean. Exactly.” Her brow furrows, slightly frowning because she _thinks_ she knows what Jon is thinking though she's no mind reader. But then…would it be so bad? To let Jon keep thinking Luke is an ogre- an abusive bastard that beats her…?

**J & T ~**

“So.” Asher spares a glance to his door as Bhaze drops his bag on the foot of the bed. “How are we going to get out of here without my Dad asking a million questions about why I'm hitting the road with you?”

“Shut. Up.” Bhaze growls, blue eyes quickly going to the open door.

“They're down stairs.” Asher whispers.

“And your Mother has bionic hearing!” Bhaze hisses. “Don’t say shit. Not about Hunting and you're not going to leave here with me. NO.” he jabs a finger at his cousin. “Not going. Stay your ass here and watch out for Tëmpe. She's gonna find something. I know her.”

“Dude!” Asher throws his hands up. “Do I look like a babysitter?”

“There isn't a babysitter in the world that’d stand a chance with my sister.” Bhaze retorts as he heads back down stairs.

**J & T ~**

They’ve each caught a fish. No more talk about ‘abusive’ uncles. However much Tëmpeztrà was tempted to paint Luke as the villain…she just couldn’t. He’s all they have left of Bo and the Dukes of Hazzard County.

And Tëmpeztrà laughed. A real honest to goodness laugh for what Jon had assumed. She’ll admit that Luke can be a jerk, that there’s problems-things that have happened he can't let go of and Tëmpe’s tired of hearing Luke bitch about her parents and their choices. She won’t explain anymore on that and quietly admitting her parents were murdered put a lid on those questions Jon wanted to ask.

He gets why she’s got that weary glint in her eyes, why sometimes it seems she's angry at nothing and everything. There's a restlessness Jon feels from her, it’s a match to what he feels and it’s like they're both tied down, made to wait … but what is Tëmpeztrà moving towards?

She pulls in her pole and sets it by their feet. “Boring.” Tëmpe sing-songs and leans back in the boat so she’s half laid out. Her hand dips into the lake and cups a surprisingly large amount of water to splash at Jon.

“Wha-!  
She laughs and cups another hand-full before Jon retaliates.

It’s fun and before long they're both sopping wet. The boat tilts and Tëmpeztrà is off balance. She yells going over the side while Jon misses the grab he makes for her.

“What the hell was that?” Tëmpe splutters coming up and brushing inky strands out of her face. There's a grin on her face Jon is pleasantly surprised by considering most teenage girls would be screeching about taking an unexpected swim.

“Well, you scared the fish away.” She's laughing and Jon sits his ass in the boat, a smile on his face.

“Yeah, yeah.” Tëmpe grabs at the boat. “Help me up.”

Jon reaches for her hand and starts to haul her up but Tëmpeztrà has other plans and Jon lands in the lake spitting up water with her laughter filling his ears.

“Now we’re even.”

“ _You_ pulled me in.” Jon points out.

“Umm, yeah,” Tëmpeztrà rolls to her back, her eyes closing. “Sure did.” She's nice and cool now thanks to her swim. “What are you gonna do, O'Neill?” she stops floating and looks at him. “Cus I can't get any wetter than this!” her hands shove a good amount of water at him.

Its summer and the sun is bright and the water feels cool. It’s so easy to be a kid and Jon splashes around with Tëmpeztrà the rest of the afternoon.

They climb back in the boat and Jon rows them to the dock trying not to watch her ring the water from her t-shirt- a faded gray, _very_ thin cotton shirt. Back on dry land Tëmpeztrà glances back at the lake with a sad sigh.

“Thank you.” Because for a few hours she forgot about the Dukes and Hunting and just… _life_ , for a little while.

“Sure,” Jon keeps his eyes on her face. “You betcha.”

**J & T ~**

Aspen has a smile Tëmpe thinks is what the dictionary defines as 100 watts. And there's all this … “Pink.”

Which is right about when Bhaze comes out of hiding. “Happy birthday Tëmps.”

Tëmpeztrà jumps on him. Her hug full of happiness and a little hope that maybe her brother is going to sneak her away for a Hunt no matter what Luke threatens to do.

“Play nice.” Bhaze whispers in her ear. “Ignore the pink.”

She lets him go, still smiling. “It’s not my birthday.” She looks around and the house is covered with pink; flowers, streamers, balloons, table cloths!

 _‘OMG, I think the place got mobbed by a princess on crack.’_ But she keeps the smile on her face because her brother asked her to.

“We know.” Asher moves in for a hug as well. “But you're not easy to surprise. You'd be expecting this on your birthday next month.”

And Tëmpeztrà nods though she really wouldn’t. It’s just so …. _Pink._

“Do you like it?” Aspen hugs her niece, fingers trailing in the damp locks but she's not going to ask about it. Whatever it takes, they're all going to have a nice evening.

Tëmpeztrà glances back at Bhaze who pokes her spine while Jon watches. It’s the brother he's only just found out about and all it took was an afternoon in the middle of a lake.

“Uh-huh, yeah, it’s… uhm,” her eyes skip around the room again taking in all the pink. “I… thank you.” Tëmpeztrà tries a smile.

“I know this is late- or early- but you could call some of your friends from school and invite them…” Aspen doesn’t even look at her husband because if he even makes one sound of protest … “There’s more than enough food.”

“Oh,” Tëmpe really wasn’t expecting a party but even thinking about asking other teenagers to the house… “Jon is here.” She turns around quickly and thankfully he hasn’t left.

Asher gives Jon a little nudge forward- away from the front door – so he's inside the house.

“Of course.” Aspen smiles a little embarrassed they'd think she was un-inviting the boy. “I meant more friends, Tëmpe.”

“No.” she shakes her head and really, does she have to tell them she really didn’t bother making friends with the other kids? “l like this. Small is good. Perfect.”

“Ok.” Aspen nods and turns to everyone in the living room. “Come on, there's cupcakes and cookies. And as soon as the oven gives me a ding we’ll be eating.” She herds them all to the table set up buffet style.

Asher drapes his arm over Jon's shoulders. “So, fishing?” he shakes his head laughing. “Dude, that’s not romantic- but good.” He straightens up. “Keep it that way. She's my cousin.”

“And my little sister.” Bhaze chimes in leaning up on the mantel with a cupcake in his hand. “Are you two dating?” he doesn’t take his eyes off Jon.

Jon almost wants to laugh. Both kids are giving him that ‘I’ll break you’ look and had Jon actually been the 17 year old boy they believe him to be then the effect would certainly carry the weight expected. But Jon has been to war, he's lost friends, family – his child… He's seen other worlds, come up against aliens and faced death too many times to count. Asher and Bhaze really aren't scary enough compared to that.

“We are only friends.” Jon assures.

“Why?” Asher frowns. “Does she scare you? She threatened you didn’t she?” he sighs.

“No.” Jon frowns kinda laughing. “I don’t think she’s had a reason to.”

“What is this?” Tëmpeztrà looks at all three of them, her frown turning to a scowl. “Why are you leaving me alone over there?” she hisses at her brother and cousin.

“Chill,” Asher waves her off. “Dad’s on his best behavior. You're supposed to enjoy the party.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Bhaze pushes off the mantel and grabs his sister’s arm tugging her towards him. “We can talk about that later. Right now,” he grins. “You're gonna start having fun.” Before Tëmpe can get hands up that cupcake leaves pink frosting all over her cheek and down her chin.

“You start a food fight and Mom's gonna skin you both.” Asher warns laughing.

“Who said anything about a fight?” Tëmpe calmly wipes the frosting from her face, eyes narrowed on her brother.

“Oh, son of … I'm so screwed.” Bhaze sighs. He knows the look, the pleasant calm tone of her voice. He's thinking maybe it would be smarter to leave before she has the chance to retaliate.

“Where’s the **_General Lee_**?” Tëmpe asks.

**J & T ~**

Tëmpe doesn’t have to try too hard to catch Asher and Bhaze researching a Hunt. But its not like Asher is quiet about it – or smart about the where he tries to ambush Bhaze and arguing his point.

“I knew it.”

Both guys turn to the door Tëmpe quickly closes behind her.

“You've been taking him on Hunts but _me_ you leave _here_?!”

“Its not like that-.” Asher starts but half way through the lie he's out of breath- forcibly.

“You don’t have to hit him.” Bhaze scolds. “And he's not Hunting.”

“You're lying.” Tëmpe glares.

“I'm not.” Bhaze denies.

“You so are!”

“No, I'm not.”

“You are too!”

“NO-! Quit it!” Bhaze glares and cucks the wrench in his hand. “I told you. I gave my word to Luke there wouldn’t be any Hunting.”

“Tough shit.” Tëmpeztrà slams her hands on the **_General Lee’s_ ** hood. “I'm going because you are not leaving me behind and if either of you thinks you're gonna sneak out on me you better make damn sure I can’t tell Luke what you two are doing.” She points a warning finger at each of them, completely serious about her threat and they know she's not bull shitting. “And leaving separately isn't going to work.” She adds shoving the door open and walking back to the house.

“Krap.”

Asher rubs a hand over his stomach. “Dude, she punched me.” He pouts but he doesn’t get any compassion.

“I'm blaming you for this screw up.” Bhaze jabs a finger towards his cousin.

“I don’t have eyes in the back of my head. How was I supposed to know she was behind me?”

Didn’t I tell you to shut up?” Bhaze demands chucking tools back into their proper places more than just annoyed with his cousin. “Master of Deception, right.” He scoffs.

Asher shrugs. “What’s the problem? So…. We take her with us.” Because they can’t possibly get into serious trouble.

**~J & T ~**


	6. Road To Ruin

**J & T**

The argument sent him to the couch. He's not buying the story, no matter how innocent they're all making it sound. He doesn’t understand why Aspen is taking their side, she has to know what they're all doing. The one thing he asked, though it was more like a demand.

No. Hunting.

Luke doesn’t know how, but Tëmpeztrà and Asher are not leaving **_Willow Fells_**. He's not about to let them meet with Bhaze, wherever it is his nephew is waiting for them.

That excuse, that he had to go meet some friends. Luke is pretty certain what kind of 'friends' his nephew was talking about.

More Hunters.

Luke can't sleep. He's angry. He's also worried and that pisses him off more. Because every time he closes his eyes there's an image of Bhaze lying bloody and broken in some alley. Or will it be an abandoned building, condemned house, mine shaft, floating down the river, washed up on a beach…?

Or will he just disappear?

Is Luke going to have to file a missing person report for his nephew knowing the likelihood of ever getting an answer will break them… And what about Tëmpeztrà?

What is that going to do to her?

**J & T ~**

Asher's head pops into the tree house, eyes squinting in the dark to search for his cousin and sure enough he's finally found her.

"What?"

He's heard Bhaze warn against _that_ tone of voice but he doesn’t think shell punch him again.

Tëmpeztrà watches him drag himself into the small space- she remembers it being a lot bigger.

"I should've looked here first." Asher notes. "You always liked it up here, no matter how much we tried to keep you out. You found a way."

"Reminding me how you two bozos harassed me when we were kids isn't abating the urge I have to toss you out of this tree house."

"Come on." Asher whines, smiling.

"You-!" Tëmpeztrà makes her hands into fists and plants them on either side of her legs, glaring at him. "I've been jailed here. And you! You get to Hunt! You don’t know the first thing about Hunting and you're off with my brother-!" she quickly turns away and crosses her arms to keep from wiping at the angry tears burning her eyes.

Asher finally drops the teasing and sighs. He leans back and tries to stretch out his legs but it’s a narrow fit. "I didn’t."

She ignores him and he taps his foot on her side.

"Tëmps… I haven't been on a Hunt with Bhaze. He wont let me… says I don't know the first thing about it." He sighs again and drops his head back on the boards. "He's been to my dorm a few times. I think he's lonely." He adds, sneaking a glance towards her and catches the surreptitious hand wiping at her cheek. "He misses you, Tëmpe. He lost his parents too… and you."

"I'm right here." She glares at him. "Exactly where he exiled me for some stupid-."

"Its not stupid." Asher cuts her off. "Tëmpe, your Mom wanted more for you. Uncle Bo too. He wasn’t born to the life. He made a choice and that’s what they wanted for you ."

"Isn't your major drawing or something?" Tëmpeztrà scowls. She doesn’t appreciate the psycho-analysis.

"That’s part of it." Asher amicably agrees, he knows its going to annoy her even more that he's not taking her bait. "I missed a lot. When Dad and Uncle Bo got in their fight about Hunting. It wasn’t fair to any of us, Tëmpe." He sighs, hands running through his dark hair. "I just… want to us be a family, Tëms."

She doesn’t look at him and he's almost made up his mind to leave her alone when she finally speaks.

"This 'family' sucks." She looks at Asher, he can't hide the sad, disappointed expression on his face. "There's too many rules."

Asher's brow furrows, thinking and then the little smile on his cousins face brings a smile to his. "Rules are made to be broken, cousin."

"I'm _really_ good at breaking rules." Tëmpe assures.

**J & T ~**

Jon looks back, brow furrowed, but sure enough it is her. He walks around the shelves again and finds she's not alone. Jon hangs back, he wants to say hello but something about the duo sitting at the library table with lap tops open and books stacked in piles, is out of the norm. Its summer vacation and they both look to be cramming for an exam.

"I got a contact. Smarter than you, anyway." Tëmpeztrà smirks and flips her lap top around for Asher to look at.

Jon can't make out what's on her screen but she spots him and snaps it shut on her cousin.

"Hey, I was reading…" Asher follows her gaze to where they both see Jon. "Hey." He waves and sits up trying to close the books on the table without Jon noticing.

"Hi." Jon heads over to their table and smiles, ignoring the fact they're both trying to hide the books on the table without much success.

Asher winces from the kick Tëmpe gives his shin under the table. Jon barely hides the smile, he's been on the receiving end of that a couple of times now.

"So, getting some light summer reading, O'Neill?" Tëmpe gets up and plucks the book from his hand.

"Not really." Jon shrugs. Truthfully, he was getting bored just sitting in the house. There's only so much TV a person can watch and there wasn’t anything really good on the idiot box anyway. And as a teenager, Jon is limited on the places he can go without drawing attention.

_'And I'm not supposed to draw attention.'_

Tëmpeztrà has a frown on her face as she's flipping through the book. "Astronomy." She snaps it shut and looks at him again, just staring.

"Yup." Jon hides the discomfort and plucks the book out of her hands. "I like staring at stars."

"Huh." Tëmpe narrows her eyes and then she smiles. "You're practicing for a hot date, aren't you?"

Jon rolls his eyes, sighing. "I like watching the sky."

"Uh-huh." Tëmpe pats his chest and sits on the table. "Whatever you say, Johnny-boy." She's effectively blocking the stack of books they're using for research.

"Aren't you two cute." Asher grins.

Both teens looks at him, Tëmpeztrà's frown is the one that worries Asher.

"You got something to say, cousin?"

"Nah…" Asher slowly shakes his head. Teasing his little cousin after she's already shown there's no hesitation in hitting him is not smart.

"Good. You look prettier when you don’t say anything." Tëmpe turns back to Jon. "You're not going to turn into some green peace, tree hugging hippie, are you?"

"What?" Jon frowns and shakes his head. "No." he's once again surprised she'd say something close to what he'd say, or rather, something that Jack would say.

"I'm not so sure." Tëmpe hops off the table and takes Jon by the arm. "Maybe you need to check out the scyfy books."

Jon knows he's being redirected and he's going to play along. Whatever the cousins are working on has piqued his curiosity but he'll wait.

"About that date…" Jon starts when Tëmpeztrà hands him another book.

 

**J & T ~**

Asher has been sneaking glances at his cousin the entire ride home. And by the scowl on her face, she's noticed.

"What?"

"You like him." Asher grins. His Mom made sure to take a bunch of pictures of them for the school dance and then for prom. "He's totally into you-."

"Shut. Up." Tëmpeztrà warns. "You're about to sound like a girl."

Asher laughs, he leans back in his seat and watches the road. "Look, you don’t have to go out with the guy but don’t lead him on either."

"What? How-? Shut _up_ , Asher." Tëmpeztrà glares out the passenger window wondering if Jon had meant more when he asked her to watch a movie at his house.

_'We're friends. I can watch TV with friends. I've watched TV with Macer and Camilla. They're friends.'_

Asher is still grinning and he doesn’t miss the side glance Tëmpeztrà tries to sneak. He almost laughs but that would mean she'd likely hit him again.

Tëmpe doesn’t think there's anything wrong with hanging out with Jon and this whole 'he's into you' shit is all Asher teasing her like he always does. They’ve gone out before and its always been as friends. So what if she likes Jon? Why wouldn’t she like him?

 _'That doesn’t mean I_ like _like him.'_ And then Tëmpeztrà rolls her eyes with an annoyed sigh because she sounds like _such a girl!_

**J & T ~**

 

Jon is pacing because she refused the ride and decided to walk her way over to his place. He knows her well enough not to insist but he's still worried she's out this late on her own. He's more than aware of what could happen to a young girl-

The knock draws him to the front door like a magnet and she's standing on his front stoop.

"Hey, Johnny-boy. Got snacks." She smiles and waits rather impatiently for Jon to let her through but it takes him a long indrawn breath before he just steps aside and waits.

Tëmpeztrà frowns, doesn't say anything and heads in. She's got the paper bag in her arms and the leather bag slung across her shoulder.

Jon follows her in to the kitchen where he frowns at the thunk the bag makes as she sets it on the counter.

"Whoa there." Tëmpe shoos his hands away and drops her bag on the counter. "I got something here I heard tastes like soda pop. Normally I'd say that's BS, especially from my source." She shrugs and slides the bag towards Jon. "You wanna be the guinea pig? If its krap just say so."

Jon peeks in then looks at her and he can't believe what she brought him. "Where did you get this?"

"Its called a store. You go in and give them money and you get -."

"Tëmpeztrà." Jon warns and she straightens up pushing off the counter.

"That sounds a lot like a parent, Jon. I'm not fond of that tone." She turns around and heads right into the living room. "What are we watching?"

Jon is still wondering how she got a pack of Labatt Blue. "She doesn't even look 21." He scowls.

An hour later Jon is still wondering where she found the beer and who this so called source is. He hasn’t seen the Labatt anywhere in town-.

"Hey," Tëmpeztrà sits up and covers her yawn with both hands then shrugs with a side glance at Jon. "Sorry, I was gonna ask if you wanted to eat?"

"Sure." Jon agrees. "Wanna order in?"

"We could walk." Tëmpe suggests. "Its not far to the diner and I think they're still open. I'm in the mood for a vanilla ice cream shake."

"Vanilla?" Jon smirks.

"What?" Tëmpe shoves his knee as she gets up. "I like vanilla ice cream and milk shakes. Doesn’t mean I don’t like variety, Jon."

"Sure." He chuckles and walks out to the street behind her, making sure to lock up and she's already waving at him impatiently from the sidewalk. "The diner will still be there when we get there, Tëmps."

"Unless it closes. Then where do I get my ice cream shake?" she pouts.

"Don’t worry." Jon laughs. "We'll get you an ice cream shake somehow." He drapes his arm over her shoulders and they head around the corner with Tëmpeztrà pointing out the holes in the plot of the movie he wasn’t even paying attention to. He's trying to figure out how to get some more info out of her without pissing her off or being obvious but he hasn’t had much luck with her and that’s annoying.

"Yo," Tëmpe flicks her fingers at his nose, barely reaching. "You get wrinkles like that." She smirks and skips ahead to grab the door. "And I've heard stories of peoples face permanently freezing that way. True stories." She laughs as he follows her inside and they stop at the counter. "Hola, Manuel." She waves at the cook who smiles in greeting. "Como están?"

"Aquí nomas. Pasándola, quieres tus papas?"

"Por favor." Tëmpe grins, nodding. Jon gets a wave from the cook as well as he heads over to the grill.

"El guero tambien?" Manuel yells towards them.

"You want your usual, Johnny-boy."

"Sure." He agrees slipping into the stool at the counter.

"También, pero picoso." She giggles.

"Traviesa!" the cook laughs and Jon is smiling. He can pick up the thread of the conversation, some words may escape him but he's got the jist of what's said.

"So!" Tëmpe turns to Jon and puts her foot on the metal bar of his stool. "You have anything else we can watch?"

"If we're taking turns I think you're up, Duke."

"Ah, girls choice. Hmm…" she winks. "I could so torture you with a sappy romantic comedy." She chuckles at the face he makes. "But then I'd be stuck suffering through it as well. Nope." She sighs and looks up, thinking. "Maybe… oh! Something in the horror tab but not stupid scary or cheesy."

"Ok," Jon isn't sure where they're going to find that section. "Is that a title for some-."

Her foot slips from the metal rung and she pitches towards him. Her hands slap on his chest and Jon's arms automatically encircle her waist.

"Sorry!" she mutters, embarrassed. "What a clutz." She tries to laugh and looks up at Jon but he's not smiling. "Uhm." She steps back and feels awkward, which is not something that never happens around Jon.

"Here you go." The night waitress startles Tëmpeztrà who turns and forces a smile as she takes the two containers in the plastic bag as Jon pays. Once outside, Jon quietly takes the bag from her and neither says a word the five blocks to his place.

Jon is confused. He couldn’t have felt… nah. He shakes his head as they walk into the kitchen and he sets the bag on the counter.

The sit on the stools to eat and Tëmpeztrà is picking at her fries. She frowns; she forgot about her ice cream shake. "Krap." Is muttered under her breath and  Jon sneaks a glance at her. The pout and the fry she bites, there's a definite twitch down in his jeans and he has to shift in his seat. But he can't eat so he gets up and  grabs two of the beers she brought him.

"Right. So," she pushes the bottle he gives her towards him. "You let me know if it's krap."

"It's not." He assures without drinking. "You gonna tell me-."

"Not a chance, Johnny-boy." She smiles and Ok, maybe the uncomfy weirdness was all in her head.

Jon takes a long drink. He can't remember when a beer has tasted as good as the one in his hand.

"Wow." Tëmpeztrà watches and he's downed half of it in just one swig. "Any moonshiners in your family tree?" She wonders.

"Don't think so." Jon sighs and downs the rest.

"So... Does it taste like soda?" She makes her yuk face, a slight scrunching of her nose and purse of her dusky lips.

Jon smiles. "It's beer, Tëmpe."

She shakes her head and stands up "Beer is gross. I don't get what-." She bumps right into Jon. Again. He almost knocks the second bottle off the counter but they both grab it. And she's close... He can feel her breath on his cheek so he turns towards her. He leans in and Tëmpeztrà meets him the rest of the way. Her lips are soft, salt from the fries on his tongue when he licks at her mouth. He bites on her lip and swipes his tongue teasingly.

Tëmpeztrà grips his shirt in her hands, opens for him and his tongue runs along hers. He tastes like the beer but it's not unpleasant. She figures this is the only way she'll like beer.

Jon pulls her flush against his chest. He keeps her wrapped in his arms, hands slowly moving up and down her back feeling every curve.

Tëmpeztrà moans into his mouth. She presses up against his chest, her hands reaching up to twine into his blond hair. She's wanted to run her hands through his hair and does so now.

Jon groans.  He feels her tentative tug and presses her up against the counter, his hands dropping to her hips and quickly pushes away from her because what he wants is just... impossible. He can't pretend to be a normal teenager. And the last thing he's going to do is take advantage of her.

Tëmpeztrà is confused. She can still feel him... and she's hot. Too hot but she makes the effort to get her breathing under control but then she looks at Jon and all she wants is for him to kiss her again.

"I.... should drive you home now."

She blinks at him and then his words sink in. It's not a 'wow that was...'

' _What was that?'_

She should ask him. "No."

"It's late, Tëmpe. Don't be stubborn." Jon huffs with slight annoyance.

"You just had a beer. You're not driving. And I'm not a damsel in distress." She turns away and heads to the living room. She's upset and it's better just to leave before she says something. _'Or I deck him. Jerk.'_

Only she really wants to kiss him again.

Jon is in the hall when she comes back, her bag over her shoulder.

"I'll walk with you."

"Dude," she rolls her eyes and doesn't bother arguing with him. "Have at." She motions to the door and Jon opens it for her. She's kinda annoyed by the gesture and he can see it but she doesn't say anything.

**J & T ~**

Asher is mad at her. Or maybe just upset by what he saw…

She just wanted to know if it was the same. Maybe the kiss was some kind of fluke because she's never felt like that before. Except Asher isn't talking to her at the moment and she doesn’t want to talk about it either. It was no big deal... At least that's her excuse.

_"You're gorgeous."_

_"Am I?" She giggles and leans into him. Her hand hooks on his shirt._

_"Absolutely." He grins, his hand slides into her hair and twines into a lock. "Come on." He tugs and Tëmpeztrà doesn’t like that but she keeps the stupid smile on her face and follows him to the next room, away from Asher and the computer he's 'fixing'._

_"Wow. It's such a big house." She hangs onto his arm leaning into his side not looking at him. She smiles when his arm slips around her waist and he pulls her up against his chest. Its exactly what she expects from him._

_"I can give you a tour later." He offers._

_Tëmpeztrà nods like a pleased little groupie and then he draws her face towards him leaning down to reach her lips._

_She makes it easier by standing on her toes. Tëmpeztrà can feel his mouth press against hers but it's just not giving her that breathless feeling she got with Jon. She parts her lips and right away has his tongue in her mouth. She's surprised and pulls away but he doesn't allow her, instead, his arm pulls her tightly against his chest._

_Normally, Tempe would already have him begging not to break his arm but she's experimenting. So the hand grabbing her ass remains unharmed._

_She wraps her arms around his shoulders and kisses him. Maybe all she needs is to get into the kiss…_

_Her tongue sliding against his until she bites his lip and then he turns them so Tempe is pressed into the book shelves._

_She_ _wonders if maybe now she'll feel ..._ something _like before but even when he kisses her throat and bites her neck all she feels is a slight flutter in her stomach. Its not even close to the heat she felt when Jon kissed her so-_

_His hand is up her skirt, grabbing her ass so she pushes on his shoulders. He grinds his hips into her, mouth covering hers when she gasps in surprise._

_Tëmpeztrà starts to wonder if maybe experimenting on the job is the right call._

Which is when Asher walks in and decks the guy.

"I don't want to know." He keeps his glare focused on the road.

"Nothing to tell." She mutters. Thankfully that's all there is to say.

**J & T ~**

Jon is glaring at the book, the words don’t even register and time is ticking away. He's got Tëmpeztrà in his head.

They haven't talked since … the kiss. Its ridiculous, really. But Jon has a hard time figuring out if what he felt was just teenage hormones or something more. But it can't be … _more_. He's an old man and its not right, he'd feel like a cradle robber, some kind of pervert…

 _'Except I don’t.'_ and that makes him scowl even more.

**J & T ~**

There's a poltergeist. She can tell because Sloane got rid of one and Tëmpeztrà was along for the ride. It was an acquaintance, an old friend of Sloane's that knew about Hunting, just never got into the lifestyle.

"We're going to need some kind of witch." She sighs and plops back on the pillows she set up as her bed in the tree house. They can be sure Luke or Aspen can't catch them working a Hunt if they have to call them down from the tree house. But they can't be up there all the time…

"Don’t you know one?" Asher wouldn’t know where to find a real, honest to goodness witch. Cus they sure as hell wouldn’t be in the yellow pages.

"Sure," Tëmpeztrà frowns at him. "Let me just send out an email…"

"What?" Asher can tell she has an idea.

"I need to send an email." Tëmpe scrambles for the ladder and ignores Asher's demand to know who its for. She may not know any witches off hand, but that doesn’t mean there isn't a certain genius that could help her find one. All it takes is an email and it probably wont take more than a few minutes to get a reply from the guy. The problem is going to be getting out of town without Luke going ape shit because he thinks they're meeting with Bhaze for a Hunt.

Because they aren't.

Bhaze hasn’t been invited.

**~ J & T ~ **


	7. Road To Ruin Part II

**~J & T ~**

Jon hasn’t paid attention to anything around him. He's been thinking about a girl, which isn't so bad, except said girl is only 16 and Jon isn't. There's no version of him dating Tëmpeztrà that doesn’t somehow make him cringe. He's an old man forced into being a teenager because an alien cloned him. And that’s a truth Jon  _can't ever_ say out loud. Jon utters an annoyed huff of breath and focuses on the campus. He's taking a couple classes over the summer just to get through the monotony of another school vacation as a teenager.  

"Hey!"

Jon turns sharply, his hand automatically reaches to his side but then he's not armed. He's not Jack. And there's no reason Jon needs a weapon, though the slight frown on the girl's face he's been trying not to think about says maybe he ought to think about watching his words.

"Look, cousin." Asher grins, and Jon doesn’t miss the grip he has on Tëmpeztrà's wrist, practically dragging her towards him. "Jon's here." He looks to Jon again. "You signed up already, huh."

"Yeah." Jon nods. He tries a smile that feels like a grimace but he's trying to pretend seeing Tëmpeztrà now is no different than before the kiss. "Uh, 2nd session." He shrugs.

"Tëmpe's taking a class." Asher drapes his arm over her shoulders. "You know she used to take college courses? I only just found out." He turns to Tëmpe though she's scowling. "So I had to get her signed up."

"Yay…" Tëmpe mocks with a grumbled snarl as she glares at them both. "Summer in a class room. Just what I wanted to do with the rest of my vacation."

"Aw, she's just grumpy." Asher assures. "So, what's your class, Jon?"

"Oh, uh… Astronomy." Jon holds up his book and gets a slight frown from Tëmpeztrà.

"You're absolutely going to become some green peace loving activist." She mutters with a shake of her dark head.

Jon is smiling. "What about you? Anything interesting?"

"Oh, of course." Tëmpeztrà rolls her eyes and nudges Asher. "I signed up just in time to get what's left."

"Already told her she doesn't have to worry about passing." He assures with a mocking pat to her head that she shakes off. "Math is my thing."

"So is drawing." She snaps. "I hate this. And I don’t like you right now either." Tëmpe smacks his arm off her shoulders and walks past Jon.

Asher keeps his smile though its forced. Aspen mentioned Tëmpeztrà wasn’t taking classes over the summer. It wasn’t unusual but then Asher thought it would take her out of the house a few hours without Luke thinking she was off trying to Hunt something.

_'Even if we are Hunting something.'_

And if it keeps earning her the credits… well, why not? This was just one more way of forcing Tëmpeztrà into a normal life while they still have some sort of say in how she chooses to live.

"Sorry about that." Asher apologizes, he's caught Jon's stare and its so obvious. "She's not happy to be hanging around town for the summer. Sort of expected to take off …" he shrugs. "Guess she'll just go out with that guy again."

"What guy?" Jon could smack himself! But he's already opened his mouth and Asher's grin seems a little too satisfied.

"Ah, its some college guy." He shrugs. "Dude's not even sticking around the whole summer. Figure Tëmpe's just trying to piss off my Dad, or something. Girls. I still can't figure out what the hell they're thinking."

Jon nods but he's got this churning in his gut that’s familiar and he doesn’t like it in the least. Just thinking -.

"Hey, we'll see you around, Jon." Asher walks past and he wants to pat himself on the back. _'Master. Of. Deception. Yeah, that’s me. I'm just awesome.'_ He chuckles and catches Tëmpe as she reaches his truck. Getting her to agree to sign up for the summer wasn’t easy but he's happy he got her there.

"What the hell was that?" she demands once they're both sitting in the truck.

"What?" Asher feigns innocence but his cousin isn't buying it. "Oh come on. Tëmpe, the guy lik-."

"Shut. _Up!_ Just shut up!" she glares out the window and the last thing she wants to hear is Asher telling her again that Jon likes her. If that was the life she wanted, then she wouldn’t be looking into weird reports and newspapers to find a Hunt.

As they follow the line of cars out of the parking lot, she spots Jon heading towards his truck. He waves and she offers a forced smile in return.

Jon wonders again why it has to be her. He knows it wouldn’t be easy to find a woman willing to … 'date' a teenager. Hell, that would be all sorts of trouble and really, that’s the last thing he wants or even needs. But that would be acceptable, it would be _easier_ than … He just feels like a creepy old man!

**~J & T ~**

Killing time, waiting for a reply, that’s what got her in the mess she's in. Tëmpeztrà wonders what Aspen was thinking. Why would she even mention her college credits? And Asher! The dumb ass actually dragged her to Fells campus!  And _math_!

"Ugh." Tëmpeztrà drops onto her bed and covers her face with both arms. She's thinking about Jon and how they’ll probably run into each other. "Damn. Damn. _Damn!_ " then she kicks with her foot though there's nothing to hit. She seriously considers finishing the Hunt _without_ her nosy cousin. Getting around the handsy, face-sucking, house sitter wont be a problem and that brings another grimace to her face. She's partly to blame for the guys black eye and hopefully Asher hasn’t blabbed to Bhaze. Now she's wondering if leaving Asher out of the Hunt will get her in more trouble considering what he knows…

"Damn…" she sits up, glaring at the wall. "Screw this." Tëmpeztrà grabs her leather bag on her way out the door. She can hear them downstairs and her aunts bionic hearing makes Tëmpe hesitate just a moment before she continues down.

The living room is empty and the sounds of their voices are muffled. Tëmpeztrà hurries out the front door, letting it bang shut behind her and sprints to the corner. She doesn’t stop and doesn’t look back. Luke will be pissed no matter what and Tëmpeztrà just doesn’t care anymore.

Luke isn't going to stop missing Bo, he's not going to stop blaming Hunting and Sloane for his death. No matter what happens, Luke can't let it go. And Tëmpeztrà is done letting it hurt, because she misses her uncle too. She misses the way it had been, how they'd all been a family, together…

Tëmpeztrà wipes at her face, leans on the fence and drags in breath after breath.

_'Crying and running… bad idea.'_

She almost wants to laugh but she can't seem to make herself stop crying and that pisses her off. She kicks at the sidewalk, stubbing her toe in the process and curses.

"You okay?"

Tëmpeztrà whirls around, her eyes wide, choking back a startled yelp and no way has Jon missed the fists he _knows_ can hurt him.

 _'Son of a bitch. Fuck, oh fuck! How is this my luck?'_ Tëmpeztrà wants to hit something but her toe still hurts thanks to her little fit.

"Fine." She bites out and quickly wipes at her face while turning her back to him. "Great, got some dust in my eye, is all."

"Hey…" Jon only hesitates a moment before pulling her into a light hug. She's stiff in his arms, trying to keep her face hidden. "Its probably a bug." He says to the top of her head.

"Huh?" Tëmpeztrà almost looks up.

"In your eye," Jon clarifies. "You probably got a bug in it. They're all over the place."

"Eww!" Tëmpeztrà automatically reaches to her eyes and rubs only to stop and laugh because her tears have nothing to do with a bug.

Jon smiles, satisfied he managed to get a laugh from her. His reward is the girl turning into his chest and laying her face in his shirt while her arms snake around his waist.

"You're such a clown." Tëmpeztrà mutters loud enough he can hear her. He chuckles, his hands threading through her loose hair.

"Only when I need to." Jon smirks. "So, where are you going?" he gets a shrug and still she doesn’t take her face out of his shirt. "Oh, well, yeah, that’s a good place."

She chuckles and shakes her head. "Where are you going?"

Jon _was_ heading home… Now, well, he's not so sure that’s a good idea.

"I was just walking…"

"…walking…" Tëmpeztrà sighs then pulls away from Jon. "You feel like having some company?"

He should say 'No'.

"Sure." Jon offers a smile. "You betcha."

Tëmpeztrà barely smiles in return.

**~J & T ~**

"We need some study material, Dad." Asher calls over his shoulder as they head out to his truck. "Go, hurry up." Asher hisses at Tëmpeztrà who still keeps giving him dirty looks.

Tëmpeztrà waits until they're a block away before glaring at him. "Study material? You are such a bad liar!"

"Am not." Asher makes a face realizing he's just sounded like a 5 year old.

"You are so _not_ 'the master of deception' cousin. You suck at lying. And what's Luke gonna say when we come back, no books in hand? You realize we are heading two towns over, right?" she demands without pause.

"I'm the good kid here, Tëmpeztrà." Asher points out. "Whatever I say, they'll believe because they know I'm not a reckless idiot." He glares at her snort. "Whatever."

"You are an idiot." Tëmpeztrà says into the silence. "You're not seeing the big picture, Asher. Hunting isn't a joke, its not some side hobby you get to put down when you feel like." And that’s exactly what they’ve been trying to make her do.

"Why are you both so thick headed?" Asher grumbles.

"Because you don’t have to go down this road… We lost our parents, Asher. I miss Dad and I miss Mom but I think Uncle Luke and your Mom will miss you more. I don’t think he can deal with your loss…" she blinks the sting of tears from her eyes and focuses on the road.

Asher's only response is a heavy sigh. He understands their concern, all of them, even if his parents don’t know his cousins are on their side. Asher just wants to share with his cousins, he wants to be part of their lives and from what he can tell, that means Hunting. He's content to just do the research, anything to avoid another close call like he had last semester.

"Who's Camilla?" he ignores the sharp glance from his cousin because he's not supposed to know about her. And he can't mention last semester…

"How do you know about her?" Tëmpeztrà has a feeling there's more to the research they've both repeatedly insisted is all Asher has been doing.

"Sort of got into a conversation about girls and Bhaze clammed up almost as soon as he mentioned her. Figured its an ex, important one… Hunter?" he glances at her and gets a soft scowl.

"Yeah," Tëmpeztrà keeps her attention on him. "He's in love with her. Camilla signed up, followed in the family tradition of serving in a branch of the military; AirForce, like her brother. Bhaze is pissed off because he asked her to marry him."

"He what?!" Asher is genuinely surprised. Bhaze is only 20, just barely and shit like that just doesn’t fly. "He knock her up?" he winces at the punch he gets. "What?!"

"Asshat." Tëmpeztrà glares at him. "He asked because he's in love with her. Not because he's supposed to. You're a jerk, you'd ask a girl to marry you if you knocked her up? And why the hell wouldn’t you just use a condom? Eww! I don’t need to know." She turns to face front once again. "No, just shut up and drive. I already have all the ingredients for the hex bags and the sooner we get this done the sooner you can get to lying to your Dad about where we've been and the lack of books you said we were going to get."

Asher is annoyed. His first Hunt and here he's getting scolded by his _younger_ cousin. "Oh, this is gonna be soooo much fun."

Tëmpeztrà ignores the sarcasm.

**~J & T ~**

They're staring at the junk of metal sitting in the yard wondering if they're getting into more trouble than they'd like.

"Maybe I shouldn’t." Bhaze mutters under his breath.

"Giving her a set of wheels to work on is better than a set she can drive off in." Macer points out and Bhaze agrees.

"Its keeping her busy that’s friggin driving me nuts." Bhaze scowls then sighs. "I don't know what else to do." He turns to Macer. "Its what Mom wanted for her."

Macer stares at the junker, its going to need a lot of work, which he knows Bhaze and Tëmpeztrà are more than capable of doing all on their own. It wouldn’t be the first time. Rebuilding the car is as much second nature to the Dukes as Hunting.

"You should let her read it, Bhaze." Macer drapes his arm over the younger hunters shoulders. "Tëmpe's not gonna stop fighting to be what you've been raised to be. Hunting is in her blood, generations back if you've got the info right."

"We do." Bhaze assures. "There's a Campbell family tree on parchment in a box somewhere… Hunters."

"You ever want to track down the other branch of the Campbell's in your family?" Macer wonders.

"What for?" Bhaze shakes his head. "They didn’t want anything to do with us. I don’t see any of 'em around, you?"

"You don’t know the whole story." Macer points out. "There's always more than one side…" he sighs and turns back to the frame. "You should get her this one."

Bhaze stares at it too. "Man, I hope my uncle doesn’t pitch a fucking fit because of this."

"It’s a car, Bhaze." Macer points out. "Not a Hunt." He slaps a heavy hand on Bhaze's shoulder and starts walking. "Your uncle should be happy about that."

**~J & T ~**

Asher is unable to sit still and his cousin has already snapped at him once. Most of the little pouches are tied up. Thankfully. They can't afford to have another one spilled. Hence the reason Tëmpe snapped at him.

"This stuff wasn’t easy to get, nor cheap." She says as the last pouch gets tied.

"I'm sorry." Asher repeats, just a little annoyed.

"You should wait here." Tëmpeztrà hides the worry. "Keep an eye-."

"I'm going." Asher glares at her. "Don’t think I'm letting you in there with that douche bag all alone."

"For kraps… I can handle him." Tëmpeztrà shoves her door open and hops out of his truck before Asher can protest.  "Let me do the talking."

"Is that what you call it?" he demands.

"Not now." Tëmpeztrà warns. "Or sit your ass in the truck and wait." She pauses on the sidewalk and glares right back at her cousin. After what he saw… well, she can't blame him for thinking she can't handle herself.

"You're not getting rid of me that easy." Asher starts up the stairs. He bangs on the door and grudgingly moves aside when she forcibly shoves him.

"Quiet." She orders just as he's opening his mouth. Her face sports a smile he thinks is way too flirty.

"What are you doing here?"

Tëmpeztrà quickly pushes the partially open door wider and steps inside. Asher right behind.

"What the hell!? Get out. Both of you."

"As soon as we finish the job." Tëmpeztrà's tone is no longer that ditsy, flirty one she used on the last visit. "You know the scratchy noises, the flickering lights, all the little annoyances you were complaining about last time? Yeah, you've got a poltergeist. It killed the last couple of handy men that were 'fixing up' your soon to be frat house."

She waits patiently for the handsy fool to process and start threatening to call the cops on the crazy psychos who just walked into his house.

"You're fucking nuts." He says.

"Of course we are." Tëmpeztrà agrees, sighing.

"Get out. Before I call the cops." He threatens.

"I'll dial for you." Tëmpeztrà volunteers, her cell in hand. "You can explain to them how you tried to take advantage of a minor."

"What?" he looks angry and shocked all at once.

Tëmpeztrà huffs with slight annoyance. "You tried to have sex with me in the library." She speaks slowly and enunciates each word. "My cousin stopped you." She glances at Asher. "Not that I needed the help."

"Yeah, you were totally in control." Asher glares and gets an eye roll in response.

"You-! I didn’t know!" he splutters. "You were all over _me_!"

"Uh, no." Tëmpeztrà frowns. "I played the ditsy slut and you totally bought it. I didn’t put your hands on my ass."

"Enough! Jeez," Asher glares at them. "Poltergeist?"

Tëmpeztrà grabs an arm while motioning Asher to the door. "So you need to leave right now. We'll finish and leave the key-."

"I'm not leaving." He pulls out of her grasp and back tracks. "I don't know who you thi-."

"Watch it!" Asher calls out as the side table slides across the hall. He grabs Tëmpeztrà and pulls her towards him while the table slams into the opposite wall and splinters.

"Wha… wha… what…?"

"Poltergeist." Tëmpeztrà grabs him again and hauls him towards the door.

"Uhm…" Asher turns towards them, thumb pointed towards the door. "Its stuck."

"Stuck." Tëmpeztrà repeats. "Of course it is." She grits her teeth and turns around. "Come on. We have three floors to clear and this bitch knows it."

**~J & T ~**

The phone goes to voicemail. Again.

"Luke."

He has the guilty, startled expression she knows so well.

"You -."

"Are you checking up on them? Your own son? Lukas-."

"I've called twice and he's not picking up. Neither is Tëmpeztrà." He takes her hands in his and tries to calmly pretend he's not worried they're on a Hunt. His boy knows better, so he tells himself. "They could've got a flat on the side of the road, no reception…. Or what if the truck broke down."

"I know better." Aspen pulls away, arms crossed. "And you know our son. Lukas!"

"Damn it!" Luke scowls. "She's stubborn and pig headed. What if they get hurt? Because I don’t believe-."

"Enough!"Aspen smacks his arm. "I've had it." She smacks his arm again. "Every time, you're like a broken record. She hasn’t done anything, Luke. Not a damn thing all summer. Just let them alone for a moment. Let Asher show her what a life without Hunting is like."

"What if she's the one showing him the Hunter life?" Luke demands.

"Oh Luke!" Aspen throws her hands up, frustrated. "He's got her taking a class. All he did was drive her to the campus. Do you know how long I've been at Tëmpe to continue the college courses? All year!" she shakes her head and turns away.

"That do-."

"Shut up." Aspen calls over her shoulder. "I don’t want to talk to you."

"Aspen!" Luke stops following her because he knows that’s just going to keep him in the dog house longer. But he scowls down at the phone. "I know you're up to something."

**~J & T ~**

Its been a week since the poltergeist 'incident' and the dirty looks from Luke. He didn’t bother looking through the stack of books Asher lugged in to corroborate the lie he told. There was nothing they could do to hide the bruises and sore muscles, especially with Asher wincing and moaning each time Aspen hugged him.

 

_They get through the top floor with minor interference. Slammed doors and flickering lights, flying furniture… a couple of lamps that break and spray them with glass shards. A little blood is the least of Tëmpe's worries so long as its not her cousins._

_The second floor comes with more attacks; a few extension cords snaking their way towards them and thankfully avoided by Asher. Not so much the new tenant who almost ends up hanged. That didn’t help calm him and trying to finish the house with a civilian freaking out…_

_It’s the ground floor they find the most dangerous; the kitchen in particular. Flying knives that decorate the refrigerator door. One of those impaling into the freaking out civilian who ends up in the hospital. A flaming stove that decorates the wall in soot, melted glass and plaster with charred beams to match._

_It also leaves them with nicks and scratches, bruises they'll suffer through the summer heat to cover up from Luke because the last thing either of them wants is another fight._

Tëmpeztrà utters a sigh seeing the flat bed that parks in front of her uncles house. The familiar roar of the _General Lee_ explains the reason.

"What is that?" Asher comes out onto the porch munching on an apple. He's got a second for Tëmpe that he hands to her.

"That," Tëmpeztrà tosses the apple from one hand to the other. "Is my brothers idea of keeping me busy."

"Huh, so… you're getting a car." Asher grins. He waves to Bhaze as he comes up the front walkway.

"Take it back." Tëmpeztrà orders before her brother can say hello.

"I… what?" Bhaze looks confused. He comes up the front steps, frowning. "I thought you'd like it."

"You think its going to keep me in this krap town the rest of the summer while you're off Hunting." Tëmpeztrà snaps at him.

"Uhmm," Asher looks behind him with concern. " The 'H' word isn't…"

"Not now." Tëmpeztrà smacks the apple back at him and levels a glare on her brother. "Take it back. And I'm going along for the ride."

"What- No." Bhaze glares at her. "You have class."

Tëmpeztrà walks past her brother and heads towards the street ignoring her brothers demand that she come back. She has a couple of weeks left for summer vacation and her brother is refusing to get her out of suburbia hell.

Asher can barely contain the frustrated sigh. "Dude, what were you thinking?"

"What?" Bhaze turns the frown on his cousin. "I got her a car-."

"That, uh, no." he shakes his head trying not to laugh as he points to the junker that most likely doesn’t even turn on. "Its not even close to the _General Lee_. You think she wasn’t going to see past it?"

"Had to do something." He grumbles. "I can't take her Hunting, you know that."

"Well, she's getting that message." Asher assures. "Wanna say hello to Mom and Dad?"

**~J & T ~**


End file.
